Bewitched
by LeisaTheGreat
Summary: During an annual event, Hiccup meets a beautiful woman named Aragwen. She gives him a very...strange gift. Afterward, Hiccup begins to have terrifying hallucinations and even begins hearing voices in his head... What has she done to him? And what can be done to save Hiccup before he falls into her clutches? *Moments of HiccupxAstrid* Rated T for dark themes. OCs. (BOOK 1)
1. Gathering of the Chiefs

_**Chapter One**_

_**A/N: Okay guys, here's the deal. XD This series is not technically related to my other series HOWEVER they are sort of 'companion series'. There might be some mention of events in the HTCYD series but nothing major, thus making them unrelated. **_

_**This takes place almost two years after the movie (and one year after the events of Escarpment), meaning Hiccup is a little less than sixteen years old. Admittedly...he hasn't grown much. XD Don't worry, he's still our little shrimp. LOL!**_

_**I hope you guys enjoy! Get ready for a bumpy ride...**_

* * *

_ "This is Berk. Over the past two years, this frigid little enclave has made a lot of changes. Namely, the addition of dragons into our everyday lives. Of course, it's not as easy as it sounds having giant, fire-breathing lizards wandering around outside your house all the time... But we've learned to get used to it. However, there's one thing here that never seems to change... And that's the annual 'gathering of the chiefs'. The day when all the leaders of the various islands in our archipelago get together to discuss treaties, alliances etc...etc... I usually don't attend because, well, I'm not exactly the future-chief type...even though I technically am going to be chief someday. But since defeating the Red Death and becoming a hero, my father insists that I go. So I guess I don't really have much of a choice this time around..."_

* * *

"Oh come on, Hiccup! Quit fidgeting, you look fine!" Astrid groans as she, once again, attempts to straighten the collar of her friend's cape. Actually, the cape isn't _his_, per se...it actually belongs to Stoick, his father. But since Hiccup is going to be meeting all the other chiefs and their heirs, Stoick wanted his son to look as..._regal_ as possible. Which is rather difficult, considering the teen's..._petite_ size.

"Fine?" Hiccup shakes his head and sighs, picking at the scratchy fur that tickles his neck. "Astrid, I look like a twelve-year-old trying to fit into his father's hand-me-downs."

She smirks. "But you look like a _handsome_ twelve-year-old."

"Astrid...!"

The blonde girl laughs and reaches up to brush the bangs from his eyes. "I'm just kidding, Hiccup." She assures him. "You look great. Very prince-like...although you could do for a haircut."

He mock-scowls at her, holding back the smile that threatens to break out on his lightly freckled face. "No way. Last time I let Gobber touch my hair, I almost ended up with a mohawk!"

Astrid giggles at the idea of Hiccup with that sort of hair and shrugs. "Then _I'll_ cut your hair." She pretends to look around Hiccup's bedroom, where the two of them are standing in front a full-length mirror. "Now where did I leave my sword...?"

Hiccup jumps away from her. "Sword?!"

"Yeah, how else would I cut your bangs?" She asks, innocently.

"Um, nevermind. I'll ask Gobber later..." He squeaks, holding up his hands in a defensive position.

Astrid nod, satisfied that he won't look like a mop for the annual gathering of the chiefs. Normally, it's at this point that she would ask him if he's excited about attending...but there's something about the awkward, self-conscious way he's standing now that makes her pretty sure that he is the opposite of excited. "So when does your boat leave?" She wonders instead.

"A few hours..." He mumbles, absently tugging at the cape again. "Speaking of which, could you do me a favor? Could you keep an eye on Toothless while I'm gone? The last time I left him behind for any length of time, he nearly destroyed our house."

Astrid laughs, remembering that incident quite well. "Sure thing, Hiccup."

He smiles at her through the mirror. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

"It's not a problem." She tells him as she walks to the other end of the room. Then, picking up her satchel and shawl, she flashes him a smile. "I'll see you later, _my prince_. I've got to go feed Stormfly before she burns down the barn..."

He turns and watches her head for the door. "Okay, thanks again for your help! I don't know what I'd do without you."

She chuckles and says, "Well you'd have a crooked cape, that's for sure."

His hand freezes where it is at his collar again and he flashes a sheepish grin before lowering it. "Uhh...see you at the docks." He says, awkwardly shifting his weight.

She winks at him and disappears out the door, closing it gently behind her.

As soon as he's sure she's gone, Hiccup breaks out into a big, beaming smile. His face lights up with bright, red blush and he looks back at the mirror, eyeing up his reflection in slightly less critical position. _Astrid called me handsome! _He screams in his head, his face burning.

Over these past two years, many things have changed on the island of Berk. One of them, is that Hiccup has finally stopped denying his crush on that lovely girl named Astrid. In fact, almost the whole village has some level of suspicion about it. Ranging them from 'childhood sweet-hearts' to 'practically betrothed'.

Of course, that last bit isn't quite true. They're only fifteen for Thor's sake! Hiccup plans to be a bachelor for many years before exploring _that_ part of life...

Suddenly, his thoughts are diverted by a heavy thump on the roof of his house. He looks up, watching as dust and wood chips trickle down from the rafters. A very familiar voice roars overhead and he finds himself laughing as he runs to the window.

"Hey, bud!" He'd nearly forgotten the Night Fury was waiting for him.

Toothless roars again, bouncing on the roof as if to hurry his Rider outside. The excited look on his face and the glimmer in his eyes says it all. It's time to go flying! He jumps one more time, wiggling his butt and flapping his wings.

The viking smirks and calls, "I'll be out in a second!" Then he disappears back inside his room. Hiccup goes to his bed and drops down to the floor, dragging out Toothless's saddle and his riding gear. But then, he pauses. Looking down at himself, he frowns. _Oh right...I'm all dressed up for the meeting..._ He bites his lip and sits up, debating what he should do. _Astrid'll kill me if I ruin all of her hard work... _

But then comes another thump on the roof and more dust trickles down. Hiccup shifts his weight and stands up, chewing on his lip in that bad habit he picked up a few years ago.

_Then again, _He rationalizes. _The boat doesn't leave for a few more hours. I'll probably get dirty before then anyway... _He smirks at his faulty plan and decides it's good enough. He makes quick work of shrugging off his clothes for the meeting and hurriedly slips on his tunic and vest before running out to meet Toothless.

The dragon is already standing by the door when he gets out. Toothless coos at him and jumps to his feet, bowing his head so Hiccup can strap on the saddle.

"Alright, bud." Hiccup pats the Night Fury's head once the saddle is on and hops in. "Just a quick lap around the island. I've gotta leave soon, remember?" He immediately regrets reminding his dragon about that.

Toothless's pupils narrow and he growls, his retractable teeth sliding through his gums.

"Tooth-less!" Hiccup scolds. "I'll only be gone for a few days. It won't be so bad! Besides, Astrid is gonna-AHHHHHHHHH!" He fights to regain his balance as Toothless suddenly rockets into the sky, almost blowing Hiccup right out of his seat. "What is the matter with you?!" Hiccup demands as he quickly straps himself in.

But Toothless only growls again and folds in his wings.

"Oh no..." Hiccup screams as the two of them begin to drop out of the sky like a rock. He slams on the foot pedal but that only serves to make them flip over and over and over until he feels sick. "COME ON, TOOTHLESS!" He shouts over the wind. "DON'T BE LIKE THAT!"

But the dragon only drones, imitating laughter as he fans open his wings and twirls through the air, effectively making his Rider dizzy.

"Uggh...come on, bud..." Hiccup tries again. "I'm sorry but it really isn't my choice! You know that!"

The dragon levels off for a moment. But only a moment. Then, he begins to climb. Higher and higher into the air until they can see the entire isle of Berk at once.

Hiccup's ears pop at the sudden change of altitude and he shakes his head. "Toothless, what are you do-"

The dragon cuts him off by flipping around and firing a blast of purple fire into the sky below them. It ignites, creating a pool of flames below them.

"Toothless..." Hiccup leans back, his eyes growing wide. "Don't you dare-"

But he _does_ dare. Toothless flips once more and then tucks in his wings...and falls straight into the fire, Hiccup clinging to his back for dear life.

* * *

The docks are packed full of vikings wishing their chief a safe voyage. It seems that everyone from the entire island has crowded onto the sturdy pier and are shouting for Stoick to be careful and come home soon.

Stoick, Berk's chief, is standing on the deck of his ship, looking bright-eyed and optimistic. It seems he's just finished some grand speech and is now wishing his own people safety while he and his son are away. "We will return no more than three days, Thor permitting." He announces. "Until then, Gobber will be my stand-in. Any dragon related problems or questions should be directed to the Riders."

It's at this point that Hiccup arrives, looking like he simultaneously burned himself with three hundred matches. His hair is sleeked back and black at the tips, his face bright red with embarrassment and burn marks. They don't hurt much...only when he moves. Or blinks. Or talks.

_Stupid, useless dragon! _He curses to himself as he attempts to slip through the crowd, unnoticed. Then, with a disgruntled sigh, he attempts to straighten the collar of his cape, which is brushing a burn on his neck in a rather uncomfortable way. _Stupid cape! _

"Ah, Hiccup!" Stoick's voice booms through the crowd. "I was wondering when you'd arrive!"

All eyes turn to Hiccup.

He freezes, smiling awkwardly at the three hundred faces that are watching him, expectantly. "Uhh...haha, hey Dad...um...I was just...uh..."

"By Odin, son! What happened to you?" Gobber suddenly appears beside him. "You're burned to a crisp!"

"Uhhh, yeah..." He sighs and leans close, whispering in Gobber's ear. "Toothless and I had a little _disagreement_ this morning."

"Ahh..." He nods, understanding what his pupil means. "He's still sore that you're leaving him behind?"

Hiccup nods as he slowly makes his way through the crowd, toward the ship where his father is waiting. "Yeah, he can be a real baby sometimes."

"Well it's only 'cause he'll miss you." Gobber points out.

"Yeah, I know. But I'm a big-boy. I can handle myself." He grumbles as he climbs on board. "I'm having Astrid keep an eye on him so maybe she can talk some sense into that head of his..."

Gobber laughs and pats Hiccup's shoulder, causing him to wince in pain from the burns. "Ha, maybe you should look into treating those burns instead of worrying about your dragon."

Hiccup chuckles and rotates his sore shoulder. "Yeah, maybe I'll do that." He watches as the gangway is pulled up, separating the ship from the docks. "I'll see you in a few days, Gobber."

"Good luck, lad."

And with that, the ship's sails fan out and are caught by the wind. The vessel is tugged out into open water and Hiccup watches as his home disappears behind the horizon.

* * *

_**A/N: Yay! No cliffhangers for once! LOL. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter (I know I had way too much fun writing it). **_


	2. Aragwen

_**Chapter Two**_

_**A/N: I really pity Hiccup in this chapter. Social gatherings are NOT my strong suit either. So I feel his nervousness on a spiritual-level. XD**_

_**Also, I had to put myself in a man's point of view when describing Aragwen's looks so if it sounds forced or weird...I'm sorry. LOL!**_

* * *

A warm, golden light spills out from the frosted windows of the meeting hall. It's already nearing midnight by the time their ship has docked. The building is enormous, probably big enough to house the entire population of Berk all at once. Its roof towers above Hiccup as he and his father approach the massive front doors, which are carved and painted with the shapes of dragons and viking war ships. The windows, which are at least twice Hiccup's height, are stained glass, portraying famous battles from viking history.

Hiccup blinks, shocked at the luxury of the this place. And he hasn't even gone inside yet. _I wonder who built this place...it must've taken a long time. _ He muses, gazing at one mural in particular. It shows a foreign ship battling huge waves, an angry-looking Thor blasting it with lightning until its sail catches ablaze.

Suddenly, Stoick taps his shoulder, stealing him from his daydream. "Amazing, isn't it?" He whispers, grinning at the fascination in his son's eyes.

"Sure is." Hiccup agrees. "Whose tribe does it belong to?"

"It's nobody's building...and everyone's." Stoick explains, cryptically. "This place was built as a neutral hall so warring tribes wouldn't feel that they were in enemy territory."

Hiccup nods, now understanding why it's the only man-made structure on this entire, tiny island. Besides, of course, the hundreds of ports that line the pearly white shores on all sides. "So...what do we do here, exactly...?"

Stoick smirks and folds his arms. "We mingle. That's about it."

Hiccup arcs an eyebrow in disbelief. "Sounds more like a social gathering than an official meeting..." This causes Stoick to laugh, rather loudly.

"But there is a reason, remember. It's so all the chiefs and their heirs can keep track of who is ruling what island. How else do you think we keep in touch?"

"So...every chief is going to be here? From how far away?" He's suddenly feeling nervous. Needless to say, some of the chiefs from around the archipelago are...less than friendly. Not to mention that their big, burly sons will be here as well. In a crowd like that, Hiccup will look like nothing more than a meal. And to top that off, what will that mean for Berk in the future? They'll all see him here, tonight, looking like a little scrawny kid and start making plans to overrun Berk once he's made chief... _Maybe it wasn't such a good idea for me to come here, after all..._

Stoick seems to notice his son's anxiousness and places a supportive hand on his shoulder. "Not very far." He assures him. "Mainly just our five or six neighboring islands and their families and special guests. A few chiefs from mainland villages will be here too."

Hiccup nods. That doesn't sound too bad... Maybe he can find a secluded corner to sit in for the rest of the night. He's suddenly glad he brought his notebook. That way, he won't be too agonizingly bored while his father attends the meet-and-greet and tries to convince all the other big, scary-looking vikings that his heir isn't as much of a wuss as he looks...which will be hard to do.

He takes a breath and forces a smile. "Alright...let's do this."

Stoick chuckles and pats the boy's shoulder again. "That's the spirit." He turns to the great double doors and grabs the handles, yanking them open so that the same golden light floods out into the darkness, cutting through it like a knife.

Hiccup has to blink several times to adjust to the sudden brightness. Stoick ushers him inside and the two of them suddenly find themselves in the biggest, most extravagantly decorated room they've ever been in.

Stoick whistles, impressed. "They really went all-out this year."

And boy did they...

The polished, marble flooring has been freshly waxed and it's entirely possible to see one's reflection in its pristine surface. The walls have been draped with expensive paintings and animal furs, dyed in various colors. That golden light is coming from three, enormous, wrought-iron chandeliers that dangle from the ceiling by pegs in the shape of a dragon's talon. The walls are lined with sturdy wooden tables, stacked high with every food you could possibly imagine. From stuffed pig and apple slices to steaming hot pies that can be smelled from the doorway. Silver dishes are piled with little chocolates and finger-foods. There's even a little fountain cascading with blood-red wine and barrels of ale.

In other words, it's every viking's paradise contained in a two-story meeting hall.

"Oh...wow." Hiccup mutters as he tries to take in everything in front of him. His brow knots when he notices the sheer amount of people inside. There's at fifty vikings mulling around, chatting happily and laughing with big, booming voices.

"Chin up, son." Stoick reminds him as he, himself, rights his semi-slouched posture and strolls, regally into the room.

Hiccup stares after him, nervously chewing on his lip again. Then, he closes his eyes, sucks in a shuddering breath, and lifts his chin. Puffing out his chest as far as it will go-hoping to look at least a _little_ bigger-he follows his father inside.

The two of them don't go unnoticed for long.

"Stoick!" Someone shouts, happily.

And Berk's chief grins as he barges across the room to meet one of his old friends. "How're you doing, Grizzly?!" He laughs, clasping the man's forearm in a viking-handshake.

The other chief, Grizzly, returns the gesture. "Ah, I'm surviving!" He jokes. Then, his black eyes bounce over to Hiccup. "An' who's this? Your boy, Stoick?"

Stoick smiles, almost beaming with pride as he looks over at his son. "Yes, that's my son, Hiccup."

Grizzly grins, bearing two elongated canine teeth that remind Hiccup of...well..a grizzly bear. The huge man lumbers over and smacks the teen on the back with such force that it almost knocks him off his clumsy feet. "A little scrawny, ain't he?"

Hiccup blushes and forces a laugh.

"Then again, I guess that's why his name is Hiccup!" He points out. "Ah, well! It's nice to meet you, boy!"

"Uhh, haha...you too, Grizzly...sir." He mumbles, avoiding the man's beady eyes.

Apparently, Stoick notices his son's discomfort and decides to intervene. He friendly grabs Grizzly's elbow. Throwing an arm around his shoulder, he says, "Let's go get some ale and catch up on old times, eh?" He flashes Hiccup a knowing smirk when he says, "Hiccup, why do you go mingle?"

But Hiccup knows by 'mingle' he means go find someplace where he won't be so uncomfortable. The teen offers his dad a grateful smile and says, "Sure thing, Dad." He watches as Stoick turns his friend around and leads him to a barrel of ale...

_Well...that was awkward. _Hiccup shakes his head and goes to turn around.

"I see you've already met Grizzly, huh?" Says an unfamiliar voice.

Hiccup freezes mid-step and turns to face the voice's owner. His mouth almost drops open at the sight standing before him.

The woman smiles a dazzling, white-toothed smile and laughs. "Hiccup, right? You're Stoick's boy."

He can only nod, still entirely dumbfounded.

This woman, whoever she is, is probably the furthest thing Hiccup has ever seen from the traditional viking ruler. Her hair is long and spills down the front of her shoulders in a curling wave of golden locks. Not blonde. Golden. Her eyes are a brilliant shade of blue, rivaling sapphire stones themselves. Her skin is like porcelain, not a blemish in sight. There's literally nothing about her that says 'hey, I'm a frightening viking chief'. But _everything_ about her says 'woman'.

Hiccup almost gasps. _Oh gods, am I drooling?!_

But she doesn't seem to notice. Instead, she only flashes a charming smile and says, "That's what I thought. Well, it's nice to finally meet you, Hiccup. I'm Aragwen."

He freezes. _Aragwen...? _Why does that name sound so familiar to him? He swallows his bewilderment and smiles back. "Nice to meet you too." He says. "So...you know Grizzly?" She doesn't strike him as the type to be hanging around that kind of man. Then again, with those looks, he has a feeling it's the men who are hanging around her.

She nods, chuckling. "Oh yeah...we go way back. He's quite the character, huh?"

Hiccup snorts and rolls his shoulder, which Grizzly may or may not have dislocated when he smacked him. "I'll say..."

She suddenly clicks her tongue, looking almost weary. "I overheard what he said to you." She admits, blushing a little. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop but with his loud mouth, it's sort of hard not too..."

Hiccup blushes as well, embarrassed that she heard Grizzly call him a scrawny hiccup. "Yeah, I guess everyone here heard that..." _Great. So much for blending in and staying out of sight..._

Aragwen smiles, apologetically. "Well I'd like to say sorry on his behalf. He doesn't know he's being a jerk sometimes."

"Eh, I'm used to it." Hiccup tells her, trying to shrug it off like he always does. "It's doesn't bother me much."

"Still." Aragwen winks at him as he begins to fish through a satchel that hangs around her waist. "As an apology...here." She holds out something in a closed fist. "Take this. It's a symbol of my tribe. If you wear it, all the other chiefs will know we're allies and no one will mess with you."

Hiccup accepts her gift, eyeing the odd-looking pendant with a curious gaze. It's the shape of a dragon's eye, blue in color, but hollow like a locket. Inside, he can see a bunch of little bundles. Herbs, he realizes. Whatever tribe she comes from, they must be into gardening or something. A little smile graces his lips and ties the leather chord around his neck, turning the pendant so that it faces the right direction. "Thanks, Aragwen." He says. Somehow, the presence of it around his throat is almost...comforting. He doesn't know why exactly but it just is.

The lovely woman nods, seeming satisfied that he's accepted her gift. "Good. Now everyone will know we're allies and they won't bother you anymore."

He tilts his head, smiling curiously at her. "Why? I mean what's the big deal with this pendant?"

There's a ornery glint in her eyes and wicked smile on her beautiful face when she says, "They're all intimidated by me. That symbol is as good as scaring off vikings as holy water is to a demon."

Hiccup laughs, finding the comparison oddly fitting. "Why would they be intimidated by you?" He wonders, unsure of anything that could be scary about such a kind, gentle woman.

She shrugs. "Maybe it's my looks." She jokes, vainly flipping her hair. "Or...maybe it's my title."

"Your title?" He asks, absently turning the locket over and over in his hands.

She nods and rolls her eyes. "My name back home is Aragwen the Terrifying."

* * *

_**A/N: I hope you guys liked it! (A ton of descriptions in this one. Phew! Took a while.) Thanks for reading and keep an eye out for chapter three.**_


	3. The First Night

_**Chapter Three**_

_**A/N: By the way (and I really should have mentioned this earlier) this is my first time writing horror so...be nice. XD**_

* * *

_Aragwen the Terrifying? _Hiccup chuckles quietly to himself as he munches on some kind of sweet roll his father insisted he try. _Why would someone as nice as her be named 'the Terrifying'?_ The teen shakes his head, marveling at how some people must think. He curiously glances down at the pendant she gave him. His hand is still wrapped around it, unconsciously twisting it back and forth where it falls just above his heart. There's a sweet smell coming from the herbs inside it, a pleasant smell. Although, admittedly, it _is_ a little strong...

At this moment, Hiccup is tucked away in a secluded corner of the palace-like meeting hall, resting on glossy wooden seat. His notebook is out in his lap, his charcoal pencil in his hand but, for some reason, he simply doesn't feel like drawing. His gaze is distant, as if his thoughts are a million miles away.

Somewhere in the building, a clock chimes midnight and, at that moment, Hiccup lets out a huge yawn. He's exhausted from their voyage and is usually asleep by now. However, by the looks of things, this little party won't be winding down for quite a while. In fact, Stoick has just started telling a story about how once took down four Monstrous Nightmares at one. Of course, no one else in this meeting hall knows that Berk is training dragons so Stoick has to pretend they kill them. But as soon as _that_ conversation started up, Hiccup totally zoned out. He's not particularly fond of listening to how every viking in the room claims to have 'spilled the guts of at least four hundred Gronckles in their time' or how 'satisfying it is to skin a Deady Nadder'...He actually shivers at the thought.

_I hope Toothless is okay and he isn't giving Astrid a hard time..._ Suddenly, another deep yawn escapes him and his eyelids begin to feel heavy. Hiccup finds his gaze being drawn toward the doors. _Hmm...maybe some fresh air will wake me up._ He scoots out of his chair and wanders toward the exit, stealing one last glance at his father. Then, he opens the door just wide enough that he can slip through and disappears out into the cool, night air.

* * *

Hiccup drifts around the tiny island for nearly an hour, his eyes focused on nothing, his legs moving as if they have a mind of their own. He doesn't know where he's going and he really doesn't care. This place is so small that, no matter where you are, you can always see the light from the hall in the distance. And, frankly, it's nice to get away from the loud shouting and laughter of the other vikings. Plus, the smell of alcohol was beginning to get to Hiccup's head.

Now, alone in moonlit night with nothing but his thoughts and the sweet-smelling pendant, Hiccup feels much more relaxed than before. It hadn't been his aim to fall asleep, it just sort of happened. One minute, he was wandering around the hillside and the next, he was laying down in the grass and closing his eyes.

He can hear his heart beating in his chest, gradually slowing down to very relaxed pace. His arms and legs feel heavy and he finds it impossible to keep his eyes open any longer. A content sigh escapes him and accepts his drowsiness, giving into the sleep that prods the edges of his mind.

The last thought he tells himself before entirely drifting away is, _Dad will notice I'm gone and come looking for me...I won't sleep long._

* * *

_"Just let it happen, Hiccup..." A soft voice whispers in his ear. "Don't fight it...that will only makes things harder for everyone and we don't want that, do we?" The voice laughs gently and, at the sound of it, a warmth blossoms in his chest. He had missed the sound of it. A soft, pale hand reaches forth from the darkness around him and caresses his cheek. "I'll see you soon, my darling." It echos through his mind, sending chills down his back. It isn't talking to him anymore..._

* * *

Hiccup wakes with a start. Jolting upright in bed, he finds his heart pounding, sweat tricking down his forehead. His hands are shaking when he reaches up to touch the pendant around his throat. Its presence comforts him again, like before. Although he doesn't know why.

It's only then that he realizes he's no longer in the grassy fields outside the meeting hall. He is, in fact, in a bed. And not just any bed..._his_ bed. Well, his bed on the ship, that is. Only question now is...how did he get here?

With a confused look on his face, Hiccup kicks off his blanket and swings his legs around, noticing that he's still in his clothes from last night. He stands up, intent of finding his father and figuring out what happened...but immediately his knees buckle. He gasps in surprise at the horrible, aching weakness in his legs, as if he walked for miles and miles. _That's weird... _He notes as he straightens himself, using the night stand as support. _I didn't walk that far yesterday..._ But his legs say otherwise.

Just then, the door creaks open. Stoick peers in, sheepishly, wondering if his son is still asleep. His eyes brighten when he notices him awake. "Ah, I was just about to wake you." He says. "Come say goodbye to everyone. Our ship will be leaving soon."

_Easier said than done. _ He grumbles to himself. "Alright, I'll be out in a second." He says instead as he finally manages to stand upright.

Stoick begins to disappear back out the door when Hiccup stops him again.

"Hang on a second, Dad..."

"Yes?"

"Um..." Hiccup avoids his eyes when he-in a sheepish voice-asks, "How did I get here...?" The answer is obvious but, for some reason, he's still got a creepy feeling in his gut. It will make him feel better to hear his father say it himself.

Stoick arcs an eyebrow in confusion. "What do you mean?" He wonders. "You came up to me last night, said you were tired, then walked out. I assumed you came right here and went to bed...you looked dead-tired."

Hiccup stares at him, dumbfounded by the answer he was given. _No...that's not right. I didn't speak to him since he went off with Grizzly...right? So what makes him think that I...? _

"Hiccup?" Stoick asks as he slowly enters the room. "Are you feeling alright? You look pale, son."

Hiccup hesitates for a moment before nodding, jerkily. "Yeah...I guess I just had a bad dream last night. I'm fine."

With that, Stoick nods and reminds him to hurry up and come say goodbye before going back out onto the deck of the ship and closing the door behind him.

_Maybe...maybe I fell asleep in my chair or something...I could have been so groggy I forgot I talked to him... _He finds himself rationalizing. _Yeah, that's probably all it was._

But something, deep inside him is telling him he's wrong.

* * *

_**A/N: Yay! My first attempt at legit creepiness! XD I hope it didn't suck, LOL!**_

_**Also, HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY! 2013 was the year I started writing fanfics so...wow. A whole year of stories under my belt! Thanks for all your support and I'll see you in 2014!**_


	4. Unthinkable

_**Chapter Four**_

It's midday by the time the ship arrives in Berk's port and-as much as she may have wanted them to be-Astrid and Toothless are not the only ones waiting when it shows up. Both of them are nearly bouncing with excitement, eager to know how it went at the meeting.

Toothless roars and hops a few feet into the air, flapping his wings and shooting a purple blast of fire into the sky. He lands and spins in a circle, looking like he's chasing his tail.

Astrid giggles at the sight of him, knowing exactly how he feels. They're both beyond excited to see their friend again, after three long days of anticipation. At this point, she's pretty sure that if she had wings, she'd be flying too.

The ship lowers it sails and ties itself down, dropping anchor. A moment later, Stoick appears on the deck. He waves to his people and tosses the gangway across, easily crossing the little wooden bridge and jumping onto the pier.

The villagers erupt with cheers for their beloved leader having returned safely and, a few seconds later, Hiccup strides out of his room. The teen is now dressed in his usual clothes, other than a glistening pendant hanging around his throat. His left hand hovers above it, turning it over and over absent-mindedly.

The villagers shout, excitedly for him as well. But, without a doubt, the loudest cries come from Toothless's own mouth. He roars, almost frighteningly before flapping clumsily into the sky and bouncing over the heads of the Berkians to reach his little Rider.

"NIGHT FURY!" Someone barks.

"GET DOWN!"

Hiccup looks up, hearing that. His emerald-colored eyes light up at the sight of his dragon. "Toothless!" He laughs, running toward the Night Fury.

Toothless coos and tackles his friend, licking the boy's face and purring like crazy. He sniffs Hiccup's head, shoulders, chest...and pauses when he gets to the talisman over the boy's heart.

Hiccup giggles and sits up, pushing the dragon off of him. "Haha, I missed you too, buddy." He says, reaching out to scratch Toothless's neck the way he likes. But before his fingers can even come close, Toothless hisses and backs away, his eyes narrowing. Hiccup frowns. "What's wrong, Toothless?" He asks, getting up.

At this point, most of the villagers have gone to the Great Hall where Stoick will be announcing their renewed treaties with certain other tribes. Which means it's only Hiccup and Toothless left. Astrid eventually joins them as well, watching Toothless's angry expression with a curious eye.

"What happened?" She asks him.

"I...don't know." Hiccup admits as he pulls himself to his feet. He takes a small step toward Toothless, causing the dragon to tense up and growl. "Buddy? What's the matter?" He wonders, slowly reaching out toward the Night Fury.

Then, the unthinkable happens. Toothless's pupils go narrow in fury and his teeth slide in. Hiccup's hand gets a little too close for comfort...and he snaps. Hiccup manages to jerk his hand mostly out of the way in time but the dragon's razor-sharp teeth still manages to graze his forearm, cutting into the soft flesh like butter.

Astrid gasps as Hiccup cries out in pain and stumbles away, gripping his bleeding arm. He trips over his own, clumsy feet and falls onto the dock, staring at Toothless with wide, shocked eyes.

As the smell of his Rider's blood hits Toothless's nose, he seems to snap out of whatever angry trance he'd been placed in. The dragon's eyes widen in realization and he whimpers, his ears folding back. He just..._bit_ Hiccup!

"Toothless..." Hiccup mumbles, still reeling from shock. A throbbing pain emanates through his arm as a bit of blood wells to the surface and drips onto his pants. He winces and staggers to his feet, unsure of what to think.

Astrid takes his elbow to support him, not that he really needs it. _What in Odin's name just happened?! _She asks herself, looking back and forth between her best friend and his dragon. _Toothless would never hurt Hiccup...right? _

Said dragon whimpers, pathetically and lowers his head. Regret shines in his eyes and he coos, sadly. He has no idea what could have made him do that. It's like something pushed him to do it. When he tries to think back to a few moments ago...everything is fuzzy in his memory. And to make it all worse, he can still smell the awful stench of blood on his friend, see it rolling down his arm, dripping off the ends of his fingers, even _taste _it on his own tongue...and the look of terror in Hiccup's eyes... It's enough to send a stabbing pain through the dragon's heart.

Hiccup blinks a few times, as if he isn't sure all that just happened. He looks down at his arm, just to be sure. But, surely enough, his arm is still bleeding. "Toothless..." He says again. "Are you okay?"

The dragon whines like a kicked dog and takes a little step forward. He winces at the unsure look on Hiccup's face and the way he edges a bit backwards, only to stop himself. Toothless whimpers again and moves closer again, slowly shutting the gap.

Then, obviously sensing the danger has passed, Hiccup kneels down and wraps his good arm around the dragon's neck. "What happened, buddy?" He breathes.

"Hiccup, are you alright?" Astrid wonders, still eyeing Toothless with a nervous look on her face. She knows he'd never hurt anyone, especially not Hiccup...but something definitely happened there. And she's afraid it might happen again.

He nods, releasing his grip on the dragon. "I'm fine, just a scratch." Then, he looks back at Toothless with a knot in his brow. "But...what just happened? It's like that wasn't even Toothless just then."

Astrid shakes her head. "I have no idea. He was so excited a minute ago."

"Well," The Rider's expression softens in relief as his dragon begins to purr and nuzzle his hand. "Whatever it was, it looks like it passed."

Toothless coos at him and leans down to sniff his wounded arm. For the life of him, he can't remember what got him so upset.

"It's alright, bud." Hiccup assures him. "It's not bad."

"Regardless," Astrid mumbles as she steps forward. "You should get that cleaned and bandaged so it doesn't get infected."

He nods and stands up. "Good idea." Then, turning and flashing a little smile at Toothless, he says, "Come on, bud. Let's go home."

* * *

"Aragwen the Terrifying?" Astrid snorts at how the name doesn't match her friend's description of the woman he met. "Yeah, she sounds _real_ terrifying. The scariest jewelry vendor in town..."

Hiccup laughs as he turns his locket over again, running his thumb over its rough surface. "She wasn't a jewelry vendor."

"Oh?" The blonde girl leans back where she's sitting on Hiccup's bed. "And who, exactly, was she?"

Hiccup smirks, scrambling to remember the name of her village. For a moment, he thinks he's forgotten. But then, the word floats through his mind as if whispered by an unknown voice. "She's the chief Farfalee." He tells her, musing about how he remembered such an off-the-wall name. "It's some little village on the mainlands."

Astrid nods. "Then that explains why we've never heard of her before."

"Heard of who?"

Both teens turn to find Stoick poking his head through the door to Hiccup's room. The chief smiles at them, a little sheepishly. "Ahem, sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt."

Hiccup snickers and shakes his head "Aragwen the _Terrifying_." He responds, rolling his eyes at the absurd title. "I met her at the meeting yesterday." He says as he motions to the dragon-eye locket. "She gave me this."

"Ah..." Stoick nods in understanding. "I've met her before. Odd lady, she is. Although she's kind enough to make up for it."

"Odd?" Astrid asks. "Odd how?"

Hiccup leans forward, intrigued.

But Stoick merely shrugs. "It's nothing concrete." He assures them. "There are just some rumors floating around about the people of Farfalee...and their chief as well."

"Oh?" Hiccup finds himself frowning a little. Why does it bother him to hear that people of gossiping about her...? "Like what?"

Stoick chuckles, awkwardly. "Well, I don't personally believe in all this sort of..._superstition_...but many folks believe that the people of Farfalee are...practicing some sort of...dark magic."

Astrid blinks. "Magic? You mean...like witchcraft?"

Stoick nods. "It's been a rumor going around for a while now. Many people think that she's a witch, herself. That's where she got the name Terrifying."

Hiccup bites his lip to keep from speaking out against this crazy talk. Anger boils in his stomach but he doesn't know why. It shouldn't annoy him this much! It's only rumors and his father _plainly _said he doesn't believe them.

But still...

"Witchcraft?" Hiccup mumbles, rolling his eyes. "There's no such thing."

"I don't know Hiccup..." Astrid suddenly says.

When he looks at her, he finds her eyes gazing at the pendant around his neck. With a scowl, he lifts his hand and closes it around the locket. She's not insinuating what he thinks she insinuating, is she?

"Remember how Toothless flipped out on the docks this morning...? I'm not saying it was...magic. But he'd definitely never do that under normal circumstances..."

Hiccup frowns, looking down at his arm which has been wrapped in stark white bandages. It still stings a little when he moves it. _She's right... _He realizes. _Toothless would never attack me..._ "But witchcraft?" He sighs. "You really think Aragwen is a witch?"

Astrid shrugs. "I didn't say _that_...it's just...maybe you should get rid of that locket. It might not be magic but whatever is in inside of it definitely did something to Toothless...it might not be safe to keep it around."

_The locket...? _He drops his gaze to the object around his throat. It glistens in the sunlight that filters through the window, looking ever-so innocent. His hand is drawn to it again, like a magnet. _Maybe she's right...maybe I should-_

"No." He answers, suddenly. Hiccup blinks in shock. Why did he just say that? "That's ridiculous. There's nothing wrong with this pendant." And again! It's like his voice has a mind of its own...

"Hiccup-" Astrid begins, only to stop when he suddenly stands up.

"I'll see you later. I'm going for a walk." And he storms out of the room, propelled by legs that won't listen to him and a mouth that won't let him speak. His heart thunders quickly in his chest as a small voice whispers in his mind...

_Don't fight, Hiccup...just let yourself go._

* * *

_**A/N: Woop! Woop! Happy New Years! (I stayed up until midnight so I figured I'd update as a gift!) YAY!**_


	5. Hinrik

_**Chapter Five**_

_**A/N: I don't even know how this happened...it just sort of did.**_

* * *

When Hiccup wakes up again, he finds himself laying on the forest floor. His entire body aches and his head is pounding. He struggles to pick himself up and, once he finally manages to get to seated position, the world begins to spin so fast, he has lay back down.

"Ohhh..." He groans. "What happened...?"

It's night-time. How long has he been asleep? And what in Thor's name made him think it was a good idea to take a nap in the middle of the woods? A wild dragon or some other animal could stumbled across him and eaten him in his sleep. He tries to think back...to remember how he got here. But his memory is blank. The last thing he remembers...is sitting in his room with Astrid. They were talking about something...and then he started to get sick to the stomach so he went for a walk to get some fresh air.

But somehow, that doesn't seem right...

Shaking his head, he tries to stand again. This time, his legs feel lighter and the dizziness has gone away. He gets up with little effort and looks around this particular patch of woods. He doesn't recognize it.

"Great...am I lost?" He wonders, looking around for a familiar landmark. But to no avail. He sighs deeply and rakes a hand through his hair. "Just perfect." He groans. Figuring there's nothing else he can do, he picks a random direction and starts walking.

Dead pine needles crunch under his feet as he tramps through the undergrowth. The ground is soggy and full of mud puddles, which he avoids like the plague. The last thing he wants when he is possibly miles from home, is soggy boots. Boot. Whatever. He shakes his head and picks up the pace, not liking the idea of being alone out here.

There's just something very eerie about the forest at night. Like you're never quite alone even if you can't see who's with you... He shivers at the feeling of being watched and rubs his hand along his goosebump-ridden arm.

_Is it just me...or is suddenly really cold? _Surely enough, his breath puffs out in front of him in clouds of white. He shudders and folds his arms over his chest, trying to retain his body heat. He flinches as a snow flake suddenly appears very close to his eyes. Looking up, he finds the air is now full of little, white crystals of frozen water. _This just keeps getting better and better..._ He tells himself. _I need to get home before I freeze to death out here. _

In all his years on Berk, he's never once experienced a cold this penetrating. It's like his veins are frozen. His teeth chatter as he stumbles through past trees, occasionally tripping over his own feet. He catches himself after one particular tumble, grabbing the rough bark of a nearby oak to steady himself.

It's at that moment...that he hears a voice.

"Hinrik!" A woman's voice calls. There's a note of laughter in her voice. A light-hearted, happy laugh. A moment later, the sound of a child's giggle echos through the air.

Hiccup finds himself smiling at the sound of it. For a long time, he just stands there, listening. His desperation to escape this frozen forest all but forgotten...

Somewhere in the distance, the woman has found the child. He can hear the way she runs to him, picture the way she sweeps him into her arms and spins round and round. She places little kisses on the boy's forehead, whispering sweet promises of love into his trusting ears.

And suddenly, Hiccup isn't just imagining it anymore. He's standing there, watching it happen. The woman is beautiful with long, golden hair and brilliant azure eyes. She is holding a small boy in her arms, one so small he could be considered a hiccup.

Together, they dance in the falling snow, catching the pure white crystals on their tongues, giggling and laughing as they twirl.

But then, the woman has an idea. "Hinrik!" She gasps, breathlessly. There's a joyful light in her eyes. "Let's go swimming!"

"But mommy!" Hinrik laughs. "It's cold outside! We'll get sick!"

"Nonsense!" His mother insists. "Not if we dry off really fast."

The small boy laughs hysterically as she spins him around in her arms, slowly lowering him to the ground. She then goes over to the little lake beside them. Somehow, it isn't frozen.

She strips off her heavy robes, revealing a night-gown that sweeps the icy ground, as well as a pair of bare feet. How she hasn't gotten frost bite on those dainty toes of hers, Hiccup has no idea. "Come on, Hinrik!" She calls as she stumbles toward the water.

Her little son giggles as he watches her, quickly struggling out of his robes too. Then, he races after her. His mother flops into the cold water, making a huge splash which incites another fit of laughter from her adorable son.

Hiccup laughs too.

A moment later, Hinrik jumps in as well.

For a long time, they both remain under the surface. Nothing happens for so long that Hiccup begins to worry that something bad may have happened. But then, the mother's soaking wet head splashes up to the surface. She draws in an easy breath, not appearing cold or winded in the least.

Hinrik doesn't reappear.

That is, until his mother reaches below the surface and pulls him up.

Hiccup's eyes go wide, a sick feeling twisting his stomach. _Oh gods... _The boy is...blue in the face. His eyes open only a slit, unblinking. Not breathing. His mother pulls his body into her, cradling him like an infant. A gentle smile touches her lips and she laughs, gently.

"You look so peaceful, Hinrik. Such a good boy you are..." She releases his body and it sinks to the bottom of the lake. Crawling out, she leaves his corpse behind and casually wraps herself back in her robes. "You didn't even fight...such a good boy."

Hiccup staggers back. What did he just see...?

Suddenly, the woman lifts her gaze to Hiccup. Her sapphire eyes locking with his. A wicked smile twists her lovely face and she hisses, "I'll see you again, my darling. And then we can play again..."

* * *

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Hiccup screams as he snaps awake, his entire body trembling with fear.

Toothless nearly leaps out of his skin at the sound of his shout. The dragon perks up, staring at Hiccup with shocked eyes. He stands up and immediately hurries over, cooing with concern.

And another moment later, Stoick bursts into his room. "Son?! What happened?! Are you okay?!"

Hiccup is sitting up now, his heart pounding so hard he can clearly see his chest thumping. He can't remember how he got here...but at the moment, he doesn't care. "D-Dad..." He whispers, looking at his shaking hands. "D-did Aragwen have any kids...?"

"What?" Stoick asks, taken aback by the random question.

"Just answer me!" Hiccup shouts, squeezing his eyes shut against the horribly sweet aroma that is hovering out of the locket.

"Um, yes. Her son's name was Hinrik." Stoick answers, not seeing the point.

"He's dead, isn't he?"

"Hiccup, what are you-"

"ISN'T HE?!" Hiccup demands, desperate to know the answer.

"Yes. He drowned when he was only ten years old..." Stoick says, unsure of why his son is asking him this.

Hiccup closes his eyes, sickness knotting his guts. _Oh gods...what is going on? Did I really just dream all that...? It felt so real..._

* * *

_**A/N: So...like I said. No clue what part of my demented brain came up with this... Sorry. **_


	6. Cursed

_**Chapter Six**_

_**A/N: Yay! An actual scene that was written out in my outline! Progress! XD (Short chapter, sorry)**_

* * *

It takes a lot of energy for Hiccup to drag himself out of bed the next morning. After his disturbing nightmare, he'd been unable to coax himself back to sleep. Now, after only having gotten about three hours of sleep the whole night, he feels dead on his feet as he staggers down the steps, Toothless not far behind him.

Hiccup feels torn as his hand absently reaches up to grab the pendant Aragwen gave to him, only to find it gone. A small part of his mind is still telling him to keep it...while the rest of him is telling him to burn the wretched thing once and for all! Somehow, that little bit of his brain is nagging him. He can smell the locket's intoxicating aroma from all the way downstairs, even though his father doesn't seem to notice it.

Hiccup keeps imagining it, locked away in his nightstand drawer. The further he walks down the steps, the harder it is to push the image away. It's like the thing is calling out for him, begging him to wear it. He shivers at that thought.

_Like something out of one of Gobber's ghost stories... _He thinks, gloomily as he lowers his hand again. _I need to find Astrid and apologize for yesterday...she might have an idea of what I can do to fix this..._

But, clearly, Toothless has other ideas. He nudges his Rider and coos, flapping his wings a little. Time to go flying!

But Hiccup only frowns at him. "Not right now, bud." He mutters. "My head hurts too bad to go flying today..."

Toothless whimpers at him, nudging him again. Please...?

"No, Toothless." He snaps, irritably. Then, as if catching himself in his bad mood, he sighs and pets the dragon's head. "Maybe later, okay?"

The Night Fury coos and follows him down to the front door, sniffing the air curiously. It smells strongly of the same herbs in Hiccup's weird necklace. The dragon lowers his ears, almost cringing at the smell. He really hates it.

Evidently, so does Hiccup. As he reaches out to pull open the front door, he uses the other hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, hoping to muffle the pain in his head. It doesn't work. He fumbles for the door handle, smacking his knuckles on the wood instead. He squints, his vision going double...

_"Hiccup...!"_

It's the pendant again... He shakes his head and reaches for the door, only to miss a second time.

_"Hiccup...!"_

He groans, giving up on the door and clutching his throbbing head as the room starts to spin. "Oooohhh..." He moans as he leans against the wall, closing his eyes. _Stop... _He pushes back against the voice in his head, begging it to leave him alone.

_"Don't fight, Hiccup...you're so close now." _The voice persists. _"Just a little while longer..."_

Hearing that, he moans again and sinks to the floor.

"Hiccup?"

He gasps, his eyes shooting open. The dizziness is gone, the voice is silenced. He's just sitting on the floor, his back to the wall. Toothless is staring at him with big, confused eyes. Stoick stands over him, a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Are you alright, son?" He asks, earning a disturbed look from Hiccup. That's good enough for him. "Alright, get up." He grabs the teen's forearm, tugging him to his feet. "What's wrong, Hiccup? You've been acting strange lately..."

Hiccup sighs, both relieved and worried at the same time. Relieved because the voice is leaving him alone for now and he doesn't feel like he's going to die anymore. Worried...because of everything else. There's no point in hiding it, he decides. How else is this ever going to end if I do? "Dad...you're going to think I'm crazy but...I think that pendant Aragwen gave me is...cursed or something."

"Cursed?" Stoick doesn't sound as disbelieving as Hiccup may have thought he would. He only sounds concerned. "What makes you think that?"

"It's just that...ever since I got it, I've been having really weird dreams...I get sick to the stomach and headaches everyday...there's a..." He hesitates at this, not wanting to sound like he's lost his mind. "_Voice..."_

Stoick frowns at the ground, his brow furrowed in thought. "Then why don't you just get rid of it?"

Hiccup nods, tightly. "I want to...but there's something that isn't letting me..."

"Then I'll do it." Stoick volunteers.

And then, something snaps inside of Hiccup. "_NO!_" He shouts, fury exploding in his chest. Except, he's _sure_ he isn't the one who said it. Once the word has escaped his mouth, he's left with the worst headache he's ever had. One enough to buckle his knees and send him crumpling to the floor like a rag doll...

"Son!" Stoick gasps as his son simply collapses to the floor in front of him. He reaches down to wake him, only to jerk his hand away at the feeling of Hiccup's skin. It's cold. As if his veins are made of ice and his heart is pumping snow through him instead of blood.

After about five seconds, Hiccup's eyes slide open again. He continues to lay on the floor, staring at the ceiling for a moment... Then, he just sits up. Blinking a few times, he turns to his dad with a confused look on his face.

"What just happened?" He wonders. "And...why am I on the floor?"

Stoick gapes at his son. "I have no idea." He admits. "You're on the floor because you fell a moment ago."

"I did...?" Hiccup bites his lip in thought, trying to remember. "That's...weird. I don't even remember waking up this morning..."

Hearing that, Stoick sits back and stares at Hiccup in bewilderment. "Hiccup, I think you were right before." He mutters, causing the teen to look up, expectantly. "About the locket being cursed."

Hiccup arcs an eyebrow. "Locket? You mean this one?" He fishes under his tunic before pulling out the very pendant which, moments ago, was supposed to be locked away in his nightstand. The boy snorts in amusement and stands up, seeming steady and perfectly fine. "Cursed? Dad, I didn't think you were the superstitious type." He chuckles and flashes a crooked smile at his father. "But don't worry, Dad. People fall all the time. I probably just got a dizzy spell and hit my head or something." With that, he opens the door and steps outside. "Come on, Toothless. You ready to go flying?"

* * *

_**A/N: Are you worried yet...? XD**_


	7. Moth to a Flame

_**Chapter Seven**_

_**A/N: I changed the cover image to this story, sorry XD And yeah, the dragon-eye necklace on the new cover image does, in fact, belong to me (not a stolen image, yay!) and IS what inspired 'the pendant'... *evil smirk* Scary, isn't it? XD**_

* * *

The room is dark and empty, save a few flickering candles that throw fiery, red shadows all over the blank walls. The floor is plain dirt but there are shapes carved into its broken surface. Circles and stars and weird, foreign writings are scrawled on the floor in what looks like chalk. There are red drawings too. Odd, squiggly dashes and grotesque figures written in, what one can only _hope_, to be paint...

A single figure sits alone in among these chaotic, senseless doodles, muttering in an unknown language. One that has been long forgotten through the ages. In this bad lighting, her normally golden hair looks like a pale siver. Her skin almost glows in the dark.

Aragwen slowly opens her eyes, still mumbling those chants under her breath. She looks at the item in front of her and smiles, gently.

The bleached skull sits on a cracked pedestal in the center of one of her chalk circles. A faint, blue light pulsates within its empty eye sockets. A low humming sound rings out from it, sounding almost like a haunting lullaby to her demented ears.

She laughs quietly and reaches up to run her slim, pale fingers over it. "Don't worry," She breathes, regarding the skull. "You won't have to suffer for long...soon, your body will arrive." A small giggle escapes her when she says, "And then we can play."

A moment of total silence passes, where Aragwen seems to be listening to something. Fascination alight in her deep, cerulean eyes.

She laughs again, her whole body shaking with amusement. "You have to be patient, my darling. It takes time to snuff out someone's will. Especially someone as stubborn as Hiccup."

Another quiet moment hangs and she tilts her head, listening to nothing.

"Yes, it is impressive he's managed to hang on this long." She agrees, petting the skull lovingly. "But there's no need for concern, my dear. He's slipping, I can feel it. Just a few more pushes and he'll have no choice." Her smile widens when she purrs, "He'll be drawn to us like a moth to a flame..."

_And then we can be together again...oh, we'll have so much fun._

* * *

Hiccup sighs contently as he lowers himself into the steaming tub of water. He can feel the warmth soaking through his tired, achy muscles and he closes his eyes, leaning his head against the rim of the tub. It had taken him nearly an hour to heat up all this water in the fireplace and find a secluded spot to wash up. Unlike his fellow vikings, Hiccup can't stand feeling dirty and after taking his long flight this morning with Toothless in the frigid sky, he's _also_ frozen to the bone.

Relaxing a bit more, he sinks into the bath until his mouth is submerged. He tips back his head so as to keep his nose free. He inhales deeply, enjoying the smell of the herbs within the pendant that is laying on a table beside the tub. Their sweet aroma lingers in the small, back room of the Great Hall, creating almost a cloud of intoxicating scents.

Hiccup smiles beneath the water's surface. _A guy could get used to this..._ He notes, loving the way he isn't cold or sore anymore. He sighs again, watching his air bubble up to the surface. He raises his head out of the water to breathe and closes his eyes, a yawn escaping him. _I should finish up soon...before I end up falling asleep in here and getting sick from it._

_"Don't fight it, Hiccup..." _A soft voice whispers to him and he suddenly feels inclined...to obey. His body relaxes and he sinks a bit further until his mouth is under again. _"Let yourself go..." _His head spins as the scent of the pendant grows stronger, filling his head to the brim. _"Don't fight...let yourself go...let yourself go..."_ He exhales beneath the water, his eyes fluttering shut and within a second, Hiccup disappears under the soapy depths...

* * *

It's cold... So...so cold... His body is shaking, his limbs are numb. He can't move, he can't breathe, he can only...sink. Further and further into the seemingly bottomless lake. Its frozen surface seeming miles away. He can still hear his mother's voice...laughing. Her hands are strong around his neck. Too strong. And it's so...cold... He wants to fight but he can't.

His lungs scream for air but he's surrounded by water. If he breathes now, he'll only choke and drown. But what choice does he have now? If he doesn't breathe, he feels like he'll simply explode.

And so...he opens his mouth. And the water rushes in.

* * *

Hiccup jolts upright suddenly, as if just realizing what he's doing. Water pours down his face and hair, spilling onto the floor as he chokes and coughs. His lungs burn as if he hasn't taken a breath in several minutes. _Oh gods..._ He gasps, grabbing a rag to dry his face on. _That was too close...much too close..._

Suddenly, there's a heavy knock on the wooden door. "Hiccup? Are you in there?"

For a moment, he hesitates. _Hiccup...? Why does that name sound so familiar...? _He chews his lip as he dries his hair and stumbles out of the tub that nearly drowned him. The words leave his mouth before has a chance to stop them. "Yeah, I'm in here, Dad!" _Dad...? _He blinks a few times, trying to get his thoughts straight. _Oh yeah...I'm Hiccup.._

"Hurry and finish up! I want to talk to you!"

This time, it really is him who answers. "Okay then. I'll be out in a second." Hiccup finishes drying off and then shrugs on his clothes, tugging on his boot and reattaching his prosthetic. He gets up and heads for the door, pausing as something prods at the back of his mind.

He turns slowly, a shiver running up his spine. A black mist hangs in the air around the pendant, looking like a huge hand tipped with demonic talons. Hiccup stares at it, terror creeping through him at the sight of it. Suddenly, the mist-hand begins to move. It hovers through the air, right toward Hiccup. It grows closer and closer until he can actually feel the cold that radiates off of it. It opens its massive palm which is facing Hiccup's chest.

His breathing suddenly turns rapid, his vision darkening at the edges. The hand finally closes the gap between them and Hiccup almost screams at the feeling of it touching his chest. But his breath is knocked out of him at its touch. His heart slams against his ribs.

But then it stops. All together, it just...stops. And everything is silent.

But Hiccup isn't dead.

He's still quite alive, standing in the corner of the room, opposite where he just was. He's staring at his body as it collapses to the floor, as the mist seeps through his skin and creeps through his veins, eventually taking a grip on his unbeating heart.

There's a flash of light...and then...

_Very good, Hiccup. You're doing well. Just a little longer now, I promise. _

A gentle hand caresses his cheek and he finds himself...smiling.

_Come find me when you're ready, my darling. We have much to discuss..._

_"Of course." _He replies, still smiling at Aragwen's lovely face. _"I'll see you tonight. Wait for me."_

_ However long it takes. _She promises in a whispered voice. _I'll be waiting._

* * *

_**A/N: Okay...this gave me goosebumps. XD**_


	8. Still Here

_**Chapter Eight**_

_**A/N: This chapter might be sort of confusing. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me and I'll do my best to answer them. (Although, at this point, you really aren't supposed to know for 100% what's going on. It's okay if you're a little turned around.)**_

_**Another short chapter, sorry guys!**_

_**I high recommend you listen to 'Winter Breath' by Adrian von Ziegler while reading this...fits very well. XD (It's all violins and pianos and haunting-beauty!) XD**_

* * *

"Son!" Stoick pounds on the door for a third time, getting frustrated and, admittedly, a little worried. Why won't Hiccup answer him? "Hiccup!" He shouts, seriously considering busting down the door. However, as soon as he hears the heavy _thump_ from inside, his consideration becomes a resolve. Lifting up one foot, he throws all his weight into a kick that cracks the wooden door at the hinges. Not _exactly _what he'd had in mind but it works, regardless. He yanks the door open and freezes, mid-step.

What he sees inside is like a scene from one of Gobber's famous ghost stories. Hiccup standing at the back of the room, smiling at the open air. He's talking...but in a language that Stoick can't understand. His eyes are rolled back in his head but open, showing nothing but white.

And there, in his closed fist, is the pendant.

Fury roils in Stoick's gut at the sight of it. That _accursed _pendant! It's doing something to son, something bad... He can feel it. And now _this_! Hiccup is talking to no one, his eyes rolled back as if he were unconscious.

"Hiccup!" Stoick barks again as he barges across the room, determined to end this once and for all. He grabs his son's shoulder, gasping at the terrible heat that radiates off of it. As if the boy were on fire.

Hiccup ignores him, as if he hasn't heard a word his father said.

"Son!" Stoick grabs the other shoulder, twisting Hiccup around to face him. And still, the possessed boy only stares. He doesn't say a word. A chill runs down Stoick's spine. A little voice in the back of his head tells him, _This isn't Hiccup..._ What that means, though, he isn't entirely sure. It's like there's a different mind existing in his son's body...a different essence.

His own eyes trail down to the locket, grasped firmly in the boy's hand. It no longer looks so innocent. There's a menacing air about it, as if it were daring him to try and take it.

And Stoick is not one to turn down a dare. Growling furiously, he snatches the pendant out of Hiccup's hand, causing the boy to gasp quietly. He throws it to the floor, expecting it to shatter of the spot. But the tough locket only skitters a few feet away, remaining perfectly intact.

A small, almost innocent laugh echos through the room, sending chills to Stoick's very core. He turns and gapes at his son, who is smiling in amusement. Hiccup grins in a very Hiccup-like manner, all crooked and buck-toothed. It sends an aching pain through his father's chest to see this imposter using his child's face. Then, in a fit of terrible fury, Stoick chases after the amulet, lifts up his heavy, booted foot and slams it down on top of the locket.

The pendant creaks, dangerously. And with a little more pressure, it finally...breaks. The herbs being smooshed into the ground, torn and ruined.

Hinrik's new body shivers. His knees feel weak and he stumbles over to the wall to catch himself so he won't fall. There's a throbbing pain in his head and that voice won't stop screaming at him.

_"GET OUT!" _It screams. _ "THIS IS MY BODY! GET OUT!"_

_No! _He responds as firmly as possible. But this other voice is strong. Hiccup is strong. And a little scary...

The voice is quiet for a moment. Maybe Hiccup has given up after all...? But then- _"I said...__**GET OUT**__!"_

* * *

Aragwen gasps at the sound of the crack. Spinning around, she finds the tiny skull shaking violently. A long, harsh fissure has broken through its surface. The light glowing in its eye sockets is so dim, she can hardly see it.

She wants to help, to do something but there's nothing she _can_ do. From this point on, it's all up to Hinrik. He has to fight his own battles...but by the looks of things, he isn't doing so well. Hiccup appears to be winning this fight...

Hinrik's light is almost out...

_And_ Hiccup's pendant is broken. That will make it a little harder for her to 'push' him. Of course, the pendant was only meant to be a tether for Hinrik until he found a way in, which he seems to have managed pretty well on his own.

She watches with an intense gaze as the light flashes within the skull, narrating Hinrik's struggle to remain in control over his new body and keep Hiccup suppressed.

_"Find me soon, Hinrik." _She sends. _"Hiccup is a troublesome one. He must be removed as quickly as possible."_

_ He is, indeed. _The boy agrees, his voice echoing through the chamber. _I fear I may not make it to you in time...He is fighting back._

_ "Don't say such things, my darling." _She purrs. _"You are far stronger than he is. I know it. I'll see you tonight."_

_ I love you, mother... _His voice sounds quiet. Just as she thought, Hiccup has pushed him down and retaken his body for the moment.

_ "And I love you, my dear." _She sends anyway, unsure if he'll hear it. However, once she is sure he's gone, she adds, "And then we can go swimming just like before...oh, you're going to make your mommy so proud..."

* * *

After the events in the washroom, Hiccup is carried home by his father. He's awake but just barely, his green eyes unfocused and half-lidded. His body shivers uncontrollably. He thinks he has a fever.

_That was Hinrik... _Hiccup realizes numbly. _Aragwen's dead son... Is that why she's doing all of this...? So he can have my body and come back to life...? _He outwardly groans at the thought of it. Needless to say, having another person's spirit take over your body and crowd you out, pushing you away into a deep, dark pit in the back of your mind...is a very invasive and terrifying feeling. _Maybe...maybe I got rid of him. _He muses, carefully feeling around in his own mind for the presence of another soul. He finds no one. _Maybe I pushed him out..._

But he knows it isn't true.

Because as soon as that thought surfaces, a ghostly voice whispers in his ears as faint as a winter breeze...

_"Still here..." _


	9. Stolen Body

_**Chapter Nine**_

_**A/N: A little bit of Hiccup and Astrid fluff in this chapter...because why not? XD We haven't had any in a while... But it doesn't last very long.**_

* * *

_Hiccup... _Astrid sighs as she watches her friend's sleeping face. He looks dead-tired, dark shadows under his eyes. There's a cool rag on his forehead, an attempt by Stoick to soothe his son's raging fever. _What is happening to you...? _She turns to look at the little wooden box on the nightstand. There's a heavy padlock keeping it closed but within it, are the remains of Aragwen's pendant which Stoick destroyed back at the Great Hall.

The young viking shivers when she remembers what Stoick had told her before he left. 'There's something wrong with him, Astrid. He was acting very strange before, like he was possessed. I need to go consult with Gothi about what can be done to help him. Keep an eye on my son... Don't let him out of your sight.'

She'd replied with a confident, 'Yes sir.' But now that she's alone with Hiccup... She's much less certain. There's a very eerie feeling to his dark bedroom, like they aren't the only two here. More than once, she's positive she can feel a pair of eyes watching her from behind. Her hair stands on end and her back prickles. Only to turn around and find the room as empty as always...

That feeling is only increased once Hiccup starts to dream. It doesn't appear that he's having a bad dream but he tosses and turns and moans in his sleep. She's so tempted to wake up him and ask if he's okay, but she'd taken Stoick's advice to heart...

'Do not wake him up. There's no telling what his condition will be if you do.'

And so she hasn't. Instead, she contents herself with gently scratching Toothless's ear and assuring the worried dragon that his little Rider is going to be fine. He's going to be fine...he has to be...

"Astrid...?"

She nearly jumps out of her skin at the sound of his voice.

Hiccup's eyes have fluttered open, all emerald and innocent. His brow is creased with worry. "Where am I...?" He mutters, softly.

She knows she should be frightened, especially after what Stoick told her...but at the sight of his sleepy, fever-stricken face, she can't help but simply be relieved. "You're home." She tells him. "How are you feeling?"

He blinks a couple of times and shift in his bed so that he can pet Toothless, who is watching him with a nervous gaze. "Okay...my head hurts a little."

She nods. "That's to be expected. You have a fever."

"I do...?" That would explain why his eyes feel so dry and his head is swimming. "What happened...? Last thing I remember I was...taking a bath. How did I get here?"

"Um..." Should she even mention this? It might upset him... "You...your dad said you were acting strangely when he found you at the Great Hall...you fell and have had a fever ever since." That works. Not a _total_ lie.

He hesitates, his heart jumping when he remembers what happened to him. He almost drowned...and then that black mist went into his body and dissapeared...and then...he lost control. Hinrik...

"Hiccup?" Astrid asks, moving closer to him. "Are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."

_Because I have... _He nods, jerkily. "I'm okay. Just...tired." He tells her, offering a tiny smile.

She smiles back and reaches out, brushing her fingers across his forehead. A moment passes and then she giggles a little. "You never got that haircut..." She reminds him, moving his bangs out of his eyes.

He laughs, tiredly. "I guess I forgot..." Although, admittedly, he doesn't regret having forgotten. He kind of likes it when she brushes his bangs away... It's such a gentle, familiar feeling. "Sorry..."

She shakes her head. "Don't be." Then, she takes her hand away and, with it, goes the rag that is now warm and useless. She turns and dunks it into a pail of melted snow beside her, wringing it out, she places it back on his hot face.

Hiccup shivers when it touches him, feeling like ice in contrast to the fire that heats his skin. His head is pounding again. "Astrid," He says, a little breathlessly. There are stars in his vision...he's going to pass out again.

"Yes?" She asks, running the backs of her fingers across his cheek.

He can feel-not only his consciousness-but his hold against Hinrik beginning to slip. Deep in the pit of his mind, he feels icy fingers clawing toward the surface again, creeping into his veins and sending shudders down his spine. Hinrik is coming back...

"Hiccup?" She asks, leaning in close. "Hey, are you alright?"

But Hiccup is gone, his presence stolen away by the other soul once again. And this time, Hinrik is determined to stay. But to do that...he has to have help. And this girl sitting beside him looks to be the prime candidate. She must be a friend of Hiccup's...making this all the better.

_I've got gain a better attachment to this body. Otherwise, I'll just be pushed down again. _Hinrik blinks a few times, just making sure the body won't disobey his commands. Then, he turns to this girl...Astrid, was it? He thinks that's what Hiccup called her. The look in her eyes is almost intimidating. She's looking at this body as if it was her own. She must have very strong feelings for Hiccup.

Poor girl. She has no idea, does she?

_That only makes this easier. _He decides, trying to convince himself that what he's doing isn't as bad as it seems. _I need to live. I need to live. If I don't, mother will-_

"Hiccup?" Astrid asks, staring into his eyes with a newfound fear. "Hey, please answer me. Hiccup!"

_Oh...right. I haven't spoken for several minutes... _He clears his throat a little and sits up, not bothered by the raging fever that plagued Hiccup moments ago. "I'm sorry." He says, trying out his new throat. As always, his mother has picked the perfect body. Hiccup's voice sounds so much like his own. Just like how Hiccup's body is just the right size for his tiny, under-grown spirit to stretch out and control it with ease. Anything bigger would have been too hard to maneuver. Anything smaller and he would have felt cramped. _Not 'Hiccup's body'. _He scolds himself. _My body._

Then, looking back up at Astrid, he forces a little smile. "Sorry." He says again. "I guess I...just got dizzy for a minute there." _Gods, I'm a terrible liar. _

Astrid takes her hand away from his cheek and sits back, staring at him for a long moment. It's clear by the on her face that she's noticed something isn't right. And her obvious suspicion is only backed up when that dragon from before suddenly jumps to its feet and snarls at him.

Hinrik shrinks away, his new heart pounding. He remembers how it tried to bite him when Hiccup first returned home, only to faze right through his ghostly body and strike out at his own master instead. _It knows I'm not Hiccup...but will it still bite me if I'm inside his master's body? _

The answer becomes apparent when Toothless flashes a warning look at Astrid before growling and backing up.

_So dragons are loyal, huh? Go figure... _Hinrik decides this is chance to try and convince Astrid of his 'innocence'. That's the only way she'll get close again. Scrambling around in his host's memory, he picks out this beast's name. "Toothless...?" He asks, trying to sound as natural as possible. "What's the matter, boy?" Boy? No, that's not right... Hiccup doesn't call him that... Oh geez, what does he say all the time?! It starts with a 'B'...

Toothless narrows his eyes that remind Hinrik a lot of Hiccup's. They're the same color, at least. And something within them...something below the surface remind him of Hiccup as well.

Hinrik smiles as the word comes to him. "What's wrong, bud?"

Of course, Toothless isn't the least bit fooled. He tenses up and growls again, his scales bristling in fury. He glances sideways at Astrid again, willing her not to be taken in by this imposter. But he realizes, with a horrified whimper, that Astrid isn't looking at him anymore. Her unsuspecting azure eyes are locked with the fake-Hiccup's. There's an odd look on her face, a dreamy look...as if she's mesmerized by what she sees in Hinrik's gaze.

Hinrik only smiles at her. It's working.

Deep inside him, Hiccup is kicking and screaming in fury. _DON'T DO IT!_ He shouts. _DON'T YOU DARE!_

But Hinrik has no choice. Already he can feel is grip weakening. If he doesn't bond with a human body soon, he'll simply vanish into thin air... He's terrified of that. And so, with an innocent laugh, he says, "Astrid, come here..."

Astrid obliges, leaning in with her dizzy, hypnotized head.

Hinrik reaches out, running his new fingers along her cheek.

Toothless hisses and stomps his feet as if to say, 'DON'T TOUCH HER!'

_"Shut up, beast!" _Hinrik snarls in a demonic, growling voice.

And Toothless, who is not a cowardly dragon, whimpers and backs off. Some instinctive part of him forcing him to get away from this evil child.

Back inside Hiccup's head, the real Hiccup is dazed, shocked by the sudden burst of power that surged through Hinrik. Almost like a lightning strike. Where did all that power come from...?

Astrid's eyes flutter shut, suddenly feeling weak. And Hinrik can feel it too. With an apologetic smile, he says, "I'm sorry, Hiccup. But this my body now. I can't have you stealing it from me."

_"No..." _Hiccup's voice is so small he can hardly hear it. _"Don't hurt her...please..."_

"I'm not going to hurt her." Hinrik assures him. "I just need to bond with this new body of mine. And the best way to do that...is through another person."

_"What...?"_

"Watch and learn." Hinrik says as he turns back to Astrid's dazed form. "Astrid," He purrs, sweetly. "Can you hear me?"

She says nothing, only wobbles a little.

Hinrik nods, satisfied. With that, he takes her chin into his hand and tips her head down until their faces are only inches apart. He feels the spike of recognition that slams through the real Hiccup.

_"No...! Don't-"_

Hinrik interrupts him by leaning in, closing the space between them. His lips press to Astrid's in a feeling that is all too familiar to this body. He gets the sudden urge to melt into this girl's embrace, a warmth swells in his heart. His heart cranks faster, pumping adrenaline through his veins.

_"Astrid..." _Hiccup's voice trails off as he vanishes into the depths on his own mind, shoved away by one powerful blow from Hinrik.

It worked.

Hinrik pulls away from Astrid, watching with a cold, uncaring expression as she sinks to the floor. He doesn't need her now. This body's powerful emotions has gripped his soul, practically welded it into place.

Hiccup is gone.

This is Hinrik's body now. _I'll see you soon, mother. Wait for me._

* * *

_**A/N: Yep. I really just went there.**_


	10. The Dark One

_**Chapter Ten**_

_**A/N: We're nearing the climax guys! I predict there will be about four or five more chapters... (the climax is going to be a long one, just FYI.)**_

* * *

"Ohh..." Astrid moans, rubbing her head as she sits up. There's a throbbing pain behind her eyes as well as a sore spot on her right temple. _Did I fall...? _She wonders as she gazes around the room, momentarily disoriented. _Where am I...? _She blinks a few times and surveys her surroundings, gasping when she remembers where she is. "Hiccup...?" She spins around to face his bed, a feeling of dread settling in her stomach.

Empty.

Hiccup is gone.

* * *

There's a bitter cold chill in the air. The woods are dark, as always. Everything is silent. No animals dare make a peep as Hinrik slowly, casually passes by. The spirit who has stolen Hiccup's body smiles to himself. Even Hiccup doesn't yell at him anymore. He hasn't heard the other soul's voice in almost an hour. This might actually go as planned, he muses. _That _would be nice. Compliant hosts are always the best. It makes it easier for everyone when they don't struggle.

But then, as if on que, Hinrik feels something stirring inside him. He sighs in frustration when Hiccup begins to squirm. He's coming back again. But, with a confident grin, Hinrik realizes he won't be able to take his body back anymore. He's simply another spirit trapped within this body, a prisoner. Unable to do anything to stop Hinrik's plan.

When he sense Hiccup is about to say something, he expects his voice to be loud and furious, like always. But instead, he's got a more...thoughtful tone.

_"Why are you doing this...? _Hiccup asks him in a quiet voice. He sounds scared and, as always, that sends a stab of regret through Hinrik.

_I have no choice. _Hinrik replies, dully. He doesn't want to talk to Hiccup anymore. He's afraid of weakening and accidentally slipping in his hold. He still might disappear... He needs to focus.

_"What do you mean?" _Hiccup continues.

At first, Hinrik simply doesn't answer.

_"Hinrik, please..." _Hiccup whispers in his head. _"I'm in here too, you know. I can feel it. You're not a bad person."_

_ Psh, you don't know anything about me. You're just a prisoner here. _

_ "Only because you're the jailer..." _Hiccup reminds him in a soft voice. _"And I do know something about you...I know that Aragwen killed you."_

_ She had to. _

_ "Why?" _

Hinrik groans and stops walking. _You're really annoying, you know that?_

_ "Answer me."_

_ Don't tell me what to do! _He can feel Hiccup beginning to get irritated. There's a jab of pain near his heart as Hiccup tries to take hold, only to fail miserably.

When Hiccup speaks again, his voice is so quiet Hinrik has to strain to hear him. He's beginning to sink again, drowning in the depths of his own mind. _"Hinrik...why did your mother drown you?"_

Hinrik bites his lip and starts to walk again. The sooner he finds his mother, the sooner he'll be rid of this pest once and for all. But until then...it can't hurt to talk to him, right? _ She killed me because...that's our game. _Hiccup doesn't respond which, for some unknown reason, sends a jolt of fear through Hinrik. _Are you still there? _He asks.

There's a sort of echoing whisper that rings through his ears and then, _"Still...here..." _Hiccup answers, weakly.

Hinrik pauses. Maybe he could lighten up just a little... Hiccup is really struggling. And so he does. Hinrik pulls away just a bit and immediately, he feels Hiccup's presence strengthen.

_"Thank you." _Hiccup says, his voice much easier to hear then before. _"What do you mean it's a game?" _He wonders.

_Well, that's how mother gains her status in the eyes of the Dark One. It's like scoring points so...that makes it sort of like a game. _Hinrik explains, matter-of-factly.

_"The...Dark One?" _Hiccup asks and his fear is plainly presented in his echoing words. _"Who is that?"_

Hinrik shrugs. _I'm not sure. But mother really wants to impress him for some reason. She says the best way to do that is by playing the Game. _

_ "Hinrik, no offense but...that's kind of creepy." _Hiccup tells him.

_No offense, but you're annoying. _Hinrik retorts. _Why are you asking me all these questions. It won't matter in the long run, anyway. You're going to die and I'm going to be revived again so we can keep playing the Game._

It takes such a long time for Hiccup to respond, that Hinrik wonders if he's drowned again. But then, he replies in a very soft, almost sad voice, _"I guess I'm just curious why you're trying to kill me..."_

Oh gods, here it comes. The time in every host's life that they start crying and begging for mercy. Maybe Hinrik should just block him off now and get it over it. _Oh please, _He snorts. _It's not YOU I'm trying to kill, here. Really, it's nothing personal. Your body was just available and the right fit for me. You're nothing more than another casualty to our Game._

But Hiccup doesn't cry for mercy or beg for his life, like all the others. Instead, he asks another question. This one, however, sends a chill down Hinrik's new spine. _"Do you like the Game?"_

Hinrik's legs freeze up and he stops walking. His eyes lower to the ground. He knows the answer. He's known it for a long time. But should he tell it to Hiccup? He might use it to weaken him and steal back his body...

_"I'm no danger to you." _Hiccup assures him. _"I can't move in here, anyway. I'm as good as paralyzed. I just...want to know."_

Hinrik heaves a big sigh but doesn't start to walk again. _No. _He says as he turns his gaze to the midnight sky, staring longingly at the bright, shining stars. _How could I? I have to steal people's bodies...destroy their will...kill them... I hate the Game. _

_ "So...why do you keep playing?" _

_ Because I have to. _He responds numbly. _My mother needs me._

_ "She killed you, Hinrik. She can't possibly-"_

_ DON'T SAY IT! _He shouts, stopping Hiccup before he can tell him his mother can't possibly love him. _Maybe she doesn't. But that doesn't matter to me. She's my MOTHER, Hiccup. I have to do what she says..._

_ "No, you don't." _

_ "YES I DO!" _He screams as he starts to run. _"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! HOW COULD YOU UNDERSTAND?!"_

_ "You're right, Hinrik!" _Hiccup gasps as he begins to slip again. _"I don't understand! So why don't you help me understand?! Maybe I can help!"_

_ NO ONE can help me now. I'm as much of a slave as you... There's nothing I can do to help you or myself or anyone. _

Hiccup waits, knowing he's going to continue.

_I'm sorry, Hiccup. I really am. I wish you didn't have to get caught up in this, you don't deserve it. But there's really nothing I can do to stop this. Even if I were to run away, I'd still be trapped in your body. My mother would find us and she'd kill us anyway. She needs to impress the Dark One and she'll do WHATEVER it takes to do so. _His eyes narrow and he swallows the sorrow that rises in his throat. _Even murder her own son..._

* * *

_**A/N: Next chapter will be the start of the climax! Thanks for bearing with me, guys! Love you!**_


	11. Let's Go Swimming

_**Chapter Eleven**_

_**A/N: Here's the start of the climax, guys! Enjoy!**_

* * *

Snow and ice crunch under Asrtid's boots as she sprints after Toothless. The dragon had been outside the Haddock house when she woke up, sniffing the ground and whining. He had wanted to go after Hiccup but knew he needed to wait for Astrid before following his little Rider's scent trail. Toothless can do a lot of things but, unfortunately, breaking a witch's curse is not one of those things.

Then again, Astrid isn't sure she can do that either. Which is why she went and found Stoick before they followed Hiccup into the woods. Surely, he can do _something_. Right...? There's got to be hope that they can save Hiccup...there's got to be.

The three of them run as fast as their legs can carry them through Berk's dense forests. Hiccup went this way and he couldn't have gotten too far since this specific direction leads to the beach. There would be no way for him to leave the island unless he'd gone to the docks, which are in the opposite direction. Meaning he's still here somewhere. They can still find him. They're not too late.

Little do they know, Hinrik isn't trying to leave the island.

His mother is already here, waiting for him to arrive so that they can go swimming once again...

* * *

After Hinrik's sincere apology for dragging Hiccup into this mess that will certainly end his life, both boys had gone entirely silent. Neither of them are really in the mood to talk anymore.

Hiccup had had such strong hopes that if he could just talk Hinrik out of finding Aragwen, he might be able to survive...only to find out that Hinrik is as powerless as he is. Literally a slave to his mother's will. Just like when Hiccup had possession of the pendant, he'd been unable to resist its siren call.

And look where it got him. Trapped like a prisoner within the depths of his own mind while a foreign soul steers his body to certain death.

Worst. Day. Ever.

He sighs and squirms a bit, still trying to grab ahold of something, anything that could bring him back into control. But Hinrik has taken his place and there's no room left for him.

_You'd might as well just give up. _Hinrik tells him in a defeated voice. _There's nothing either of us can do._

_ "Stop saying that." _Hiccup grumbles in an irritated voice. _"You sound like a quitter. I recall you being a lot more persistent when you were trying to possess me."_

_ Well you're just being stubborn and stupid. I already told you! There's nothing we can-_

Hiccup blocks him out, raising a big black wall between their consciousness in order to muffle his pessimist talk. He doesn't need to hear that now, especially when he's trying so hard to keep them both alive. He _knows_ he can do it. It's just a matter of worming his way in, taking back control. Then, he can get help...he could free Hinrik so that he doesn't have to play this Game anymore.

_Hiccup? _Hinrik asks, feeling around for the other soul. He's answering him anymore. A spike of fear stabs through his heart when he thinks about the possibility that he might have drowned again. For some reason, the thought that he's alone again is frightening. _Hiccup? Are you there?_

But there's a wall between them and Hinrik realizes-with an irritated grunt-that Hiccup is still very much present, even strong enough to block him out! He shakes his head both in annoyance and amazement. He's a strong kid, stronger than most.

But it won't be enough.

Aragwen will kill them. Hiccup will die and so will Hinrik. The only difference is that Hinrik is going to come back again, just like always. Aragwen will revive him and have him possess someone else. She'll kill them too and then the Game will begin again. An endless cycle of death that never stops.

How many times has it been now?

Ten?

Twenty?

He's lost count.

So many lives thrown away and all for what? So his mother can impress some evil spirit named the Dark One. She's willing to sacrifice the life of her own son over and over and over, force him to do things that slowly eating away at him. Eventually, he won't mind killing people. He'll be used to it. But his worst fear...the thing that chills him to the core...is the day that he starts to like it.

That's the day when the Dark One will be truly impressed.

The day that his witch of a mother blackens the soul of an innocent.

And that day isn't far off.

He just knows that, once Hiccup is dead...everything will change. No one will be safe ever again...

* * *

Eventually, the wall lifts again and Hinrik can feel that Hiccup has weakened considerably. All his futile struggling has taken its toll and the other boy is barely even conscious.

_Do you believe me now? _Hinrik asks, dully. _You're wasting your time. _

Hiccup just sighs. _"How much further do we have to go?" _He asks in a tired voice.

Hinrik frowns. Has he really given up? He seems almost eager to just get it over with... Then again, how can he blame him? Giving up is so much easier... _Not long. _He assures him. _My mother's place is very close._

_ "Her place...? But we're still on Berk. I thought we were leaving?"_

_ No. Leaving the island would be too risky. Mother has come here to meet us._

Hiccup shivers. Aragwen is here, on Berk. _"What is she...going to do to us...?"_

_ Kill us, obviously. _

_ "I knew that. I meant..." _He pauses, feeling sick. _"How...?"_

Hinrik shrugs. _It's always different. Last time, she drowned me. The time before that, she burned me. The time before that, she cut my throat. The time before that, she threw me off a house, the time before that-_

_ "Okay, that's enough!" _Hiccup interrupts him. _"I get it."_

Hinrik chuckles. _Sorry, I forgot. You're still new at this._

_ "Aren't you scared...?" _Hiccup wonders. _"I mean you're going to die too. Shouldn't you be afraid?"_

_ I used to be. _Hinrik tells him. _Dying is never fun, no matter how many times you do it. I guess after so many times it just doesn't faze me like it used to. Then again, the difference is I'll be able to come back to life again. You'll get to stay dead._

Hiccup swallows. Hinrik had said it in a way that sounded like it's a good thing to 'stay dead'...but he isn't really looking forward to it. He doesn't want to die. He's scared... Really scared. When his next thought floats through his head, he doesn't mean for Hinrik to hear it. But, evidently, he does anyway.

_Don't bother, Hiccup. _He mumbles. _Even if someone does come to save you, they won't make it in time..._

_ "What do you mean?"_

_ We're here._

* * *

At the sight of her son's new body stepping out of the treeline, Aragwen smiles brilliantly. "Hinrik!" She cries, rushing forward. "Oh my darling, I've missed you so!"

And Hinrik smiles with Hiccup's lips, allowing his mother to throw her arms around his new shoulders, pulling him in for a huge hug. She lifts him off the ground, spins him in circle and kisses him on the cheek and forehead. He giggles but only for show. It's always this way. She acts so happy to see him but then she just shoves him off a roof for stabs him with a sharp knife... It's all very jarring and he wishes he could just stay alive for a little while instead of immediately dying every time. "I've missed you too, mother." He lies, smirking to himself at Hiccup's reaction to her embrace.

_"YOU HAG! YOU TREACHEROUS OLD WENCH! DON'T TOUCH ME!" _

_ Hush, Hiccup. _Hinrik tells him. _She can't hear you and you're giving me a headache._

_ "I can't believe I ever trusted her!" _He cries, outraged.

_Everyone trusts her. It's part of a charm she casts on herself. You literally can't help but see innocence in her..._ Hinrik tells him. _It wasn't your fault. You're just a victim of circumstance._

"How are you, my dear?" She asks, gently caressing his cheek in a way that makes Hiccup start screaming again.

"I am well, mother. Although...admittedly, I'm not looking forward to dying so soon again...can't we just...stay together for a little while?" He asks, thinking of nothing but trying to keep Hiccup alive. It's strange, actually. Of all the hosts Hinrik has had, he's never actually started to like one before. But Hiccup is different. He's got a fire inside him that makes Hinrik almost believe that if he _just_ buy some more time...maybe he really could get out of this with his life intact.

"Oh, sweet-heart...you know I would love nothing more than to sit down with you like a proper mother should...but we're running on borrowed time as it is. The Dark One isn't renowned for his patience, after all..."

Hinrik sighs."I understand, mother."

She smiles and pats his head. "Good boy. Now, shall we play our Game...?"

"As you wish, mother..." _Sorry, Hiccup. I tried._

_ "I know...thank you." _

_ I'm so sorry this had to happen to you..._

_ "I don't blame you...you're a victim too."_

_ Thank you for understanding...I wish there was something I could do. _With that, Hinrik begins to follow his mother further into the little clearing she found. So many opportunities for her to kill them...but what will she choose?

Hiccup watches, powerless to move his own body. The feeling of hopelessness is all-consuming. He can't move. He can't speak. He can't do anything. He really is just a prisoner...

And then...it starts to snow.

Hinrik looks up, offering Hiccup one last view of the sky. _His_ sky. The same one he would go soaring through with Toothless, the one he used to look at everyday, the one that made Berk such a cold, miserable place to live... Now, it's crying for him. Shedding frozen tears onto the ground as he's dragged to his death.

He can't help but remember his dream. Except now he's sure it wasn't a dream. It was one of Hinrik's own memories...the last time he died, his mother drown him in a lake. For some reason...he thinks that maybe Hinrik showed him that as a warning...

_Don't be ridiculous... _The other boy tells him. _You saw that purely by accident..._

_ "I wonder what she'll do this time...?" _Hiccup muses with a defeated sigh.

_ I don't know. _Hinrik admits. _She likes it to be a surprise..._

_ "Sicko..."_

_ I agree._

Just then, Aragwen stops walking so Hinrik stops too. He swallows. Here it comes. The big reveal. What will it be this time...?

"Hinrik," She begins in a sweet tone.

"Yes, mother?"

"Did you know that, exactly one year ago today, was the last time you possessed a body?"

"No, mother. I didn't." He tells her, unsure of what importance that is to the Game. She never gets sentimental about these things... "Why?"

Aragwen turns and smiles. "We usually don't take this long so...I figured, just for old times sake..." A wicked little smile touches her lips and laughs. "Let's go swimming."

* * *

_**A/N: This is so messed up... XD**_


	12. The Game

_**Chapter Twelve**_

"Let's go swimming." Aragwen purrs, motioning to the small, fast-moving river behind her.

Inside Hinrik's head, Hiccup shrinks away. He can plainly feel his captive's raw terror and a stab of guilt goes through him. _Don't worry. It...doesn't hurt much. _ Hinrik assures him.

_ "I'm scared..." _Hiccup admits in a trembling voice.

_I know. It will end fast, I promise. Drowning isn't the worst way to go... _Hinrik closes his eyes, feeling absolutely awful for what he's about to do. He takes a step forward and then another, moving mechanically.

Aragwen smiles at him and holds out her hand.

He takes it and a sick feeling enters his stomach. Not for the first time, he realizes how much he truly despises this woman. He would kill her if he could... But it's a part of the spell, a safety precaution because necromancy is dangerous business. He _can't _actually kill her. _I guess that's why that part of the spell exists, otherwise, I would have killed her twenty bodies ago..._

_"You shouldn't think like that..." _Hiccup tells him, half-heartedly. _"You should never take pleasure in death... Otherwise, you'd be no better than Aragwen."_

Hinrik nods, causing his mother to look at him with a confused expression. He bites the inside of his cheek, silently cursing himself. He isn't supposed to be talking to his host.

Her eyes narrow at him and, for a moment, Hinrik thinks she's going to do something. "He really is a tough one, isn't he?" She asks with a sigh. "That Hiccup is stubborn..."

Hinrik grimaces. She knows. Oh gods...this isn't good.

"So, Hiccup..." She whispers, petting her son's new head. "What have you been saying to my son...?"

"H-he hasn't been saying anything!" Hinrik lies. "Really, mother..."

_"What's the big deal if you talk to me?" _Hiccup wonders, not understanding.

_I'm supposed to totally block you out once I've taken your body! If I don't then it isn't really MY BODY and she thinks I've disobeyed her... Plus, she's afraid you'll say something to me to make me change my mind about helping her..._

_ "But you're her SLAVE!" _Hiccup points out. _"There's nothing I could do to change this anyway!" _

_ I know but-_

"You're talking to him now, aren't you?" She hisses. "I can see it in your eyes...he's still in there."

Hinrik whimpers and takes a step back. "I-I'm sorry...he's just...a difficult host is all..."

She clicks her tongue. "A shame that you've had to suffer with another's voice in your head for all this time. I'm sorry, sweety...let me get rid of him for you..."

Hinrik gasps as a familiar feeling courses through him. This happened once before...so he knows what's coming next... "N-no, mother please!" He cries. "Don't hurt him!"

"Now you're defending him?!" She shouts, infuriated. "THIS is why I tell you to block them out! He's ruining you, Hinrik!" With that, she holds up her hand, her palm facing outward toward Hinrik's body.

"No, he isn't! He hasn't done anything wrong!" The feeling gets stronger. Like a thousand spiders crawling across his skin, toward his chest. "Please don't!"

_"Hinrik, what's she doing?!" _Hiccup demands. _"What's that feeling?!"_

_ Oh gods, Hiccup...I'm so sorry..._

_ "For what?! What's happening?!" _

_ She's going to- _His words are cut off as the 'spiders' reach the area just above his heart. A horrible, wrenching pain twists in his chest as an eerie red light begins to glow through his tunic. It pulses with the beats of Hinrik's heart and, even though he knows it hurts _him_, it must hurt a heck of a lot more for Hiccup...because it's _his_ soul she's squeezing now.

* * *

The pain is unbelievable. As soon as that witch holds out her hand, a searing, burning, stabbing, terrible pain rips through Hiccup's very being. If he had a mouth, he'd be screaming as loud as his lungs could bear. But he doesn't have a mouth to project his agony so his screams are silenced, contained within the confines of his own mind.

But Hinrik can hear them. He can hear them clear as a bell. _JUST HANG IN THERE, HICCUP! SHE CAN'T KILL YOU LIKE THAT! JUST HOLD ON, IT WILL PASS! _He has to yell to make sure his companion soul can hear his voice over the sound of his own, agonized shrieks. Having said that, he turns back to his mother. A furious glare on his face. How could she do this?! Hiccup didn't do anything wrong! "Stop it, mother!" He shouts. "You're hurting him!"

"You dare back-sass me, you brat?!" She snarls. "Tread carefully, my dear." She waves her hand again and Hiccup's screams increase, the glowing light at his chest throbbing faster and faster.

Hinrik is about to say something to Hiccup again...when suddenly his screams vanish. Hinrik goes cold all over, his heart giving a jump of panic. _Hiccup...? _He asks. _H-Hiccup...? Are you there...?_

At the terrified look on her son's face, Aragwen smiles. "There, now you have your head all to yourself."

But he ignores her. _Hiccup! Answer me! HICCUP!_

"Come dear, the Game awaits..." His mother purrs, holding out her hand again for him to take it. "The Dark One won't wait for much longer..."

He still doesn't say anything. _Hiccup, don't you dare give up! _He shouts in his head. _I know you're still there! Please wake up! _

_ "h..." _The voice is so soft he isn't sure he actually heard it.

_Pull yourself together! Don't you dare disappear on me now! _He bites his lip before saying, _We can still get out of this! Please just don't give up!_

_ "hhh..." _Hiccup's response is an echoing, ghostly whisper. He's only barely there. One more push like that...and he'll be gone for good.

_Oh thank gods... _Hinrik smiles inwardly, not showing it on the outside. _Are you okay...?_

_ "St...ill...h...ere..." _

Hinrik sighs in relief. _Good. Just hang on a little longer. I'll figure out how to get us out of this, I promise._

_ "Please...do..." _Hiccup breathes, tiredly. _"I don't...think I can...do this much...longer..."_

* * *

"There, now you have your head all to yourself again." Aragwen says as she lowers her hand. "Now, let's get to the Game."

Hinrik's face is still tense for a moment, it's clear he's searching for the other boy's presence. But then, he bites his lip and another silent moment passes.

Aragwen sighs. "He's gone, Hinrik."

Suddenly, Hinrik seems to come back to reality. He looks into his mother's gaze, a dark look in his new emerald eyes. He knows Hiccup isn't gone but, thankfully, his mother can't tell. Looking back down at her extended hand, he nods. "Yes mother." Then, he takes it.

She smiles at him. "That's a good boy, Hinrik."

And he smiles pleasantly. "Anything for you, mother. Now," His smiles twists into an evil look when he says, "Let's go swimming."

She giggles, overjoyed at the sadistic look in his eye. "Yes, and then the Games can begin again..." She grips his hand tightly and leads him to the river. Its fast-moving currents roaring as they rush past, spraying white mist into the air.

_"What are you going to do?" _Hiccup asks him, suspiciously.

_I'm going to make sure you survive. The only way to do that is to make sure my mother doesn't. _He says in a determined voice. _I know you said not to kill her but...I guess I'm just not as good a person as you are, Hiccup. And there's nothing you can do to stop me, you're just a 'prisoner' remember._

Hiccup blinks, taken aback by his new companion's reply. Then, with a knowing smile, he says, _"Well, you're right about that. I can't stop you."_

_ Then just sit back and enjoy the show. The Games are about to start..._

* * *

**_A/N: Lol, this last part reminded me of the Hunger Games a little! XD_**


	13. The Tether

_**Chapter Thirteen**_

_**A/N: TIME FOR REVENGE! XD (The next two (or so) chapters will also be part of the climax.) Hang in there guys, we're nearly done...**_

_**I don't think I've ever had a story stray THIS far from the outline...I seriously can't use the original plans anymore because Bewitched has taken such a different turn than I thought it would. Oh well! XD I like where it's gone and where it's going!**_

_**Thanks for reading, reviewing, favoriting, following and all that jazz! :D You guys are awesome!**_

* * *

Hinrik swallows nervously as he follows his mother to the water's edge. His heart is pumping so hard in his chest it almost hurts, stars flash in his vision and he's worried he might actually faint... He wonders what his mother would do if he did. Would she just kill him anyway? Probably. And that happens, then Hiccup will definitely be doomed.

Closing his eyes, he shakes his head. _Calm down. Just relax. You can do this...you can do this... _The roar of the river is nearly deafening. Icy water sprays onto the bank, misting his one flesh ankle and sending shivers down his spine. He can't help but remember what it felt like to be drowned. So much pain... He doesn't want to suffer that again, nor for Hiccup to have to feel it either. _I can do it. _He tells himself. _I can kill her._

_ "You don't have to." _Hiccup's voice floats through his head, sounding oddly calm and collected. _"There could be another way..."_

_ No, Hiccup. _Hinrik assures him. _There isn't. This has to stop. Now._

He and Aragwen come to a stop at the slippery bank. She passes him a sweet smile and motions to the water, telling him to get it. Hinrik bites his lip, only to wonder why he did. It must be one of Hiccup's habits, he reasons. Then, he forces a tight smile and takes the first agonizingly cold step into the river. He gasps, wincing at the bitterness and shivers.

"Go on, son. This will be over before you know it." Aragwen says, her voice firm but tender at the same time. Hinrik hates it when she talks like that. It sounds so fake. Hiccup was right...she doesn't really love him, does she?

With a resigned sigh, he nods and moves his other leg into the water. This one is the metal prosthetic though so it doesn't hurt nearly as much. He hears a splash as Aragwen steps in as well.

_"How does she not get frost-bite...?" _Hiccup wonders, noticing she is barefoot as usual. _"This water is freezing."_

Hinrik fights the urge to shrug, not wanting his mother to know Hiccup is still alive in his head. _Probably just a spell she cast on herself...or maybe she's just so cold-hearted she's immune to freezing._

Hiccup chuckles, half-heartedly at the poor attempt of humor.

"Alright dear." Aragwen says as she gazes around the tree line suspiciously. "Let's hurry this up. Someone is coming..."

Hinrik's eyes widen a bit, hearing that. "Who?" He asks.

The witch snorts. "Probably this body's family. They must have realized he's missing."

_"Dad...!" _Hiccup breathes, a sense of joyous relief blossoming in his chest. _"He came for me after all...!" _

_ I wouldn't get too excited just yet. _Hinrik tells him. _We're still standing knee-deep in icy water with a psychopathic witch who wants to kill us. And your father probably isn't anywhere near us yet. Mother has a way of sensing when people are trying to interfere with her plans...which is why we must be very careful._

_ "Just tell me what to do." _Hiccup replies, glaring at Aragwen through Hinrik's eyes.

_Just be ready. Once I betray her, she'll likely break my Tether. You'll be on your own after that._

_ "Your...Tether? What's that?" _Hiccup asks, shivering as Hinrik kneels down in the agonizing cold.

_Do you see that pedestal over there?_

_ "Yes."_

On the other end of the clearing, a small stone pedestal is standing in a chalk circle. Six candles lit around it, casting ghostly shadows around the dark trees. Seated atop the pedestal, is a small, cracked skull...

_That skull belonged to my original body. That's what keeps me here and bound in your body. If it gets broken, I'll be cast away from you._

_ "So, in other words, we have to make sure it stays intact until Aragwen is dealt with."_

_ Exactly. _

"Alright sweety," Aragwen whispers, brushing a strand of hair from Hinrik's stolen forehead. "This won't take long..." She purrs. Then, with a sadistic grin, she adds, "And don't forget to breathe once your under."

Hinrik forces a laugh and closes his eyes, grimacing at the feeling of her hands closing around his neck, preparing to force him under.

_"Good luck." _Hiccup says, just as the dark, frigid water swallows up his body, the roaring of vicious waves deafening him to his companion's reply.

* * *

Toothless screeches, furiously as his Rider's scent gets closer and closer. He can also smell someone else. It's the same scent as the one that hung on Hiccup's pendant. The locket's owner is here as well. He can clearly hear the sound of a river, as well as someone...thrashing around in the water. Panic rises in his chest as he continues to sprint after his little Hiccup...

"We're getting close!" Stoick growls, noticing Toothless's urgency. "We need to hurry!"

Astrid only nods, too focused on running as fast as she can to give a verbal reply. After a few minutes, she begins to see a light at the end of the woods. It must open up into a clearing... "Do you hear that...?" She whispers.

"Yes..." Stoick says, listening intently to the sounds of a struggle.

_Hiccup...just hang in there! We're almost there!_

As soon as the trio bursts into the small clearing, they find the source of the noise they'd heard... Aragwen is kneeling in the river, her hands wrapped around someone's throat. That _someone_, upon closer inspection...is Hiccup. His entire body is submerged under the surface of the water, his arms thrashing wildly, pushing against the woman who is trying to drown him!

"HICCUP!" Stoick shouts in terror. All three of them charge, intent on saving Hiccup. However, just as they reach the water's edge, the witch whirls around to face them. Her sapphire eyes glowing with fury.

"**GET AWAY**!" She screams in a demonic growl. As soon as the words leave her mouth, an otherworldy force slams into Hiccup's friends, throwing them backwards across the clearing.

They land heavily, flat on their backs, the breath knocked out of them.

* * *

Hinrik notices his mother's distraction as soon as Hiccup's friends arrive. And he wastes no time in taking advantage of it. Reaching up with cold, numb arms, he grabs ahold of Aragwen's elbows and yanks her to the side

She gasps, not expecting her son to fight back. Caught off guard, she simply tumbles sideways into the water and is still in shock when Hinrik flips around and crawls on top of her.

He coughs and fights for air, simultaneously grabbing the witch's throat and pushing her below the water.

* * *

As Astrid pulls herself back to a seated position, she stares wide-eyed at her companions. "What was THAT?!" She gasps, touching her stomach where it felt like two massively powerful hands punched in in the gut.

"I don't know..." Stoick admits, also rubbing his stomach. "But right now, I don't care! I have to save my son!"

"Wait, Stoick!" Astrid says, her eyes locking on something at the other end of the clearing. "What is that...?"

He follows her gaze, finding the small pedestal and skull. The tiny bleached bone is glowing, brilliantly. "I don't know that either." He grumbles as he pulls himself to his feet, his eyes flicking back over to Hiccup, who has managed to flip his attacker onto her back and is now fighting her. "But what I _do_ know is Hiccup needs my help and we can't get close until we do something about that power of hers..." He glares at the skull, looking so important off in the distance. "And I think that thing is our best bet..."

* * *

Hinrik struggles to keep Aragwen beneath the water. She is far stronger than she look and Hiccup's body is pretty tiny and weak. He won't last much longer and she doesn't appear to be drowning as fast as he'd hoped she would...

_"Wait a second..." _Hiccup mutters, quietly. There's a hint of fear in his voice. _"What are...they doing...?"_

Hinrik glances up just for a second...but it's long enough to see Stoick heaving a huge axe above his head, aiming directly for the skull. "No..." He breathes, panic rising within him. If they destroy his Tether, Hiccup will be-

_"DAD, NO!" _Hiccup screams.

_CRACK!_

The axe sails down, smashing the skull to the bits.

The last thing Hinrik sees is a brilliant flash of light and then...he's gone.

* * *

_**A/N: Lucky chapter 13, everyone... XD**_


	14. Indebted

_**Chapter Fourteen**_

_**A/N:**_

"Normal speech"

_"Hinrik's speech"_

_Hiccup's thoughts_

**Hiccup and Hinrik together**

* * *

Aragwen freezes as Stoick's axe smashes her son's Tether. Her gaze switches to the pair of emerald eyes above her, a small twinge of panic in her chest. If Hinrik disappears, everything will be ruined! Surely enough, the rage in his eyes melts away, leaving a blank, dazed expression as the skull shatters. There's a blinding, blue light from the Tether and then the boy's body falls away, collapsing limply into the water with a huge splash.

Immediately, the witch jumps to her feet and glares daggers at Stoick. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" She shrieks. "YOU'VE RUINED EVERYTHING!" Her focus is diverted as a soft moan leaves Hiccup. He blinks and shifts, trying to lift himself out of the water.

_Hinrik...? _He asks, weakly. _Are you there...?_

He gets no response.

Aragwen stares at Hiccup in awe. He should have died when she crushed his soul! How is he still alive? Grinding her teeth together, she leans over and grabs the collar of his tunic, forcing him to his knees. "You brat!" She hisses. "WHERE IS MY SON?!"

Hiccup stares at her, a very dizzy look in his eyes. His body still won't quite listen to him. He feels numb, tired... _Hinrik...if you're there...please answer me...!_

"I'll make sure you regret turning him against me...!" She promises, a burning fire in her eyes.

But just then, a pair of strong hands grab her shoulders and tear her away from Hiccup, who-without the support of someone else holding his weakened body up-slumps back over again.

Stoick wrestles his arms around Aragwen's midsection, trapping her in a bear-hug of sorts. He tugs her out of the river and away from Hiccup, having to struggle to keep her still. She's much stronger than she looks.

Toothless immediately rushes past them and goes to his Rider, biting Hiccup's collar and dragging him out of the water and back onto the shore. Astrid nearly whimpers at the sight of him.

There's a blank, emotionless look on Hiccup's face. His normally forest green eyes have been reduced to a pale grey, matching the color of his skin almost perfectly... She reaches down with a trembling hand to touch his cheek. Ice cold and soaking wet. His lips are a startling shade of blue, water runs down the corners of his mouth. He must have inhaled water when he collapsed a moment ago...

"Oh gods..." She squeaks, unsure of what to do. "STOICK!" She screams, turning to face her friend's father. "HICCUP IS IN TROUBLE!"

Stoick's eyes widen at the sight of his son, laying motionless on the side of the river. He...doesn't appear to be breathing. And suddenly, Aragwen laughs. It's a blissful, trilling laugh that chills Stoick to the very core.

"A fair trade, wouldn't you say, Stoick? My son for yours..." She giggles, eyeing Hiccup's still body with possessive, horrible eyes.

Stoick glares, furiously at her. He can't let her go or she'll just attack them again like before. What should he do?! WHAT SHOULD HE DO!?

* * *

A steady ringing sound fills Hiccup's ears. It's so loud he can't hear anything. His limbs feel dead. He can't move them. There's awful, aching pain in his chest whenever he tries to breathe. It stops him before he can get air into his screaming lungs. They're begging him to breathe but he just can't. They're something in his throat that stops him.

_Hinrik...? _He asks for at least the hundredth time, his eyes narrowing at the sight of a small, white light lingering above him. What is it...? _Hinrik...are you there?_ He doesn't really expect an answer. He knows Hinrik was torn out of him when his father destroyed the skull... Maybe that's why his heart leaps when he suddenly receives an answer...

_"I'm here, Hiccup." _Hinrik tells him. But he sounds different. His voice is more of an echo that an actual voice. As if the sound is coming from miles away. He also sounds...happier. _"It's okay, Hiccup." _He says and his presence is more comforting that Hiccup could have imagined. _"You need to open your eyes now. Your friends are worried about you... Please, open your eyes."_

So Hiccup obeys. It takes an insane amount of effort, but he manages. He pries open his heavy eyelids, wincing at the salty burn in his eyes. As soon as his vision slides into focus, a sense of panic rises in him. He's just remembered he can't breathe. His back arcs off the ground with the initial cough, water gushing out of his mouth and freeing up his blocked throat. He hears someone gasp when he sucks in breath, coughing some more. His whole body trembles as it registers how penetratingly cold he is.

"Hiccup!" Someone else cries. He recognizes the voice...

"Astrid...!" He gasps between coughs.

"Oh thank gods!" She lifts his shoulders off the ground, cradling his shaking body in her lap. She doesn't seem to mind that he's dripping wet and ice cold. And he doesn't mind either, her warmth is heavenly and he clings to her, desperate to warm up.

"W-where H-Hinrik...?" He stammers, glancing around the clearing as if expecting to see another person standing there. But other than himself, Toothless, Astrid, Stoick and Aragwen...the clearing is empty.

"Hinrik?" She asks, not sure of who that is. She frowns, wondering if Hiccup is still delirious. "I don't know." She tells him. "But right now, you need to relax. You almost drowned..."

He frowns, _knowing_ he heard the other boy's voice a moment ago... He couldn't have simply imagined that...could he? His gaze finds the shattered remains of Hinrik's Tether and frowns. _I'm sorry Hinrik...after all this...after saving my life...you still had to die._

_ "It doesn't bother me. I'm used to it, remember?"_

Hiccup gasps, craning his neck to find the source of the voice, not caring that Astrid is staring at him like he's lost his mind. _Hinrik?! _He calls out. _Where are you?!_

_ "You can't see me so stop looking around like an insane person. I think you're scaring your girlfriend."_

Hiccup can't help the joy that blossoms in his chest. _Are you okay? What happened to you?_

_ "After your dad destroyed my Tether, I was thrown out of your body like I said...after that, I was kind of disoriented and couldn't really tell where I was...but I figured out how to get back because you kept calling for me...I just followed your voice."_

_ You could hear me all that time? _Hiccup asks, amazed.

_ "Of course." _Hinrik replies, nonchalantly. _"You're the only person I know who can yell louder in their head than with their mouth..."_

Hiccup smirks. _I'm glad you're back..._

_ "Me too. But I can't stay for long." _Hinrik tells him. _"I only came back to make sure my mother doesn't cause anymore damage..."_

_ But you're just a...ghost or something now right? What can you do?_

Hinrik laughs and a chill runs down Hiccup's spine. A breath of cold washes over him and he feels like there is a presence beside him that he can't see... _"You'd be amazed what you pick up as the son of a necromancer..."_

Hiccup nods, determined. _What can I do to help?_

There's an apologetic tone in his voice when he says, _"I'm gonna need to borrow your body one last time. Do you think you're up for it?"_

Hiccup struggles to sit up, only to find his body just as numb as before. Only now, a painful tingling sensation is creeping up his fingers and toes as his body wakes up. _Um, I'm not sure how useful I would be to you right now...I can't move._

_ "Oh, how rude of me. Let me help you with that." _

Suddenly, there's flash of light behind Hiccup's eyes. He registers a blinding pain for a fraction of a second...but then the pain is gone. His limbs burn as they come back to life but it's a good burn. A living burn. Hiccup sits up, vaguely registering another presence in the back of his mind.

"Hiccup?" Astrid asks. "What are you doing? You shouldn't be moving yet..."

When Hiccup speaks, there's the slightest echo of another voice behind it. "**I'm okay**," He says, confidently as he stands up. There's a newfound strength in his movements. A ferocity that was never there before.

Astrid gasps at the sight of his eyes. They're...glowing. An otherworldly light shines behind them, making their emerald coloring burn like fire. "Hiccup...what on earth...?"

He flashes her a devilish smile and says, "**I'll explain later.**" With that, he turns to Aragwen, still trapped in Stoick's iron grip. She gapes at him with disbelief on her face.

"How...?" She breathes. "How are you still not dead...?"

Hiccup and Hinrik smile at her. "**Hello, mother.**" Hinrik says. "**You didn't think you could get rid of me this easily, did you?**"

"Hinrik...!" Her expression turns sour. "YOU TRAITOR! YOU FILTHY LITTLE BRAT! HOW COULD BETRAY ME LIKE THAT! YOU TRIED TO KILL ME! I'M YOUR MOTHER!"

"**AND I'M YOUR SON, YOU EVIL HAG!**" He shouts, furiously. "**BUT THAT DIDN'T STOP YOU FROM KILLING ME, DID IT!?**"

"You don't understand, Hinrik!" She cries, putting on her best 'victim face'.

"**No. You're wrong, mother. I **_**do**_** understand. I've understood for a long time now...but it's only because of Hiccup that I was brave enough to put a stop to it.**"

"Ah..." She nods. "So that little wretch really is the cause of all of this..."

"**He helped me to see the light, mother. He saved me when all you did was kill me, again and again. You tried to ruin me but Hiccup saved me. And I'll forever be in debt to him for that...**"

_"Thank you, Hiccup." _Hinrik whispers to his companion.

_Thank YOU, Hinrik. You saved me too, remember?_

"So? You have me cornered..." She sighs. "What are you going to do, then?"

"**I'm going to make sure you never hurt anyone else, ever again.**" They reply, coldly.

"Oh? You're going to kill then..."

Hiccup parts his lips, preparing to answer, when Hinrik suddenly stops him. "**No.**" He says instead.

_What are you doing? _Hiccup asks him. _I thought this is what you wanted._

_ "You were right, Hiccup..." _Hinrik admits. _"If we were to kill her, it would be nothing more than just another senseless murder...there's been too much death lately. And frankly, I'm tired of ending other people's lives..."_

_ So what are you gonna do...?_

_ "Like I said, you pick up a few things being a witch's son..."_

Hiccup watches as Hinrik lifts their hand, palm facing outward toward Aragwen. And a moment later, the woman screams as the shoulder of her robe catches fire.

_Hinrik...? What's happening...? _Hiccup asks, suddenly feeling woozy.

_"Hang in there, Hiccup...this is draining, I know."_

Aragwen thrashes, wildly. Horrific screams of fury ripping from her throat. "YOU TREACHEROUS BRAT! HOW DARE YOU DO THIS?!"

Hiccup moans as his energy slowly disappears. Just before he's sure he's going to pass out, Hinrik stops and lowers their hand.

_Sorry. _He says. _But I needed to reveal the Tether._

_ "Another...Tether...?" _

Surely enough, within a twisted mass of half-healed flesh and oozing blood, is a little, black bone. It juts out of her porcelain shoulder like a spear, glistening in the moonlight.

Hiccup swallows at the ominous feeling that radiates off of it. _A Tether to...what, exactly?_

_ "The Dark One."_ Hinrik replies. _"We destroy that, and she'll never cast another spell for the rest of her miserable life."_

Hiccup nods, tensing as he readies himself for whatever comes next. _Alright. Let's do it. _


	15. Unholy Offspring

_**Chapter Fifteen**_

_**A/N: Sooo...this story became way longer than I thought it would... XD WHATEVER! Here you go! Chapter 15! Enjoy ;D (This is one of the last chapters. Only two or three more to go, I think!)**_

_**And...oddly enough, there are a few light-hearted moments in this chapter... XD GO FIGURE!**_

_**Also! Lots of supernatural, magic stuff in this chapter. 'Cuz ya know. Witches and ghosts and all that good stuff! XD**_

_**Sorry for the wait! The site had issues.**_

* * *

As soon as the the Dark One's Tether is revealed, the atmosphere in the clearing changes dramatically. The air drops at least ten degrees, an eerie wind rattles the leaves on the trees and grass frosts over before their eyes.

Astrid stares at Hiccup, shivering at how cold the forest suddenly is. What on earth is going on...? And what's that thing sticking out of Aragwen's shoulder...?

The furious witch thrashes in Stoick's grip, still unable to move. She glares at her son, evil thoughts lurking in her head. If only she had a way to hurt him... What she wouldn't give to see him suffer now...

_"Do you think your dragon will give us a hand?" _Hinrik wonders. _"I don't think he likes me..."_

_ Only because he doesn't know who you are and he's worried you're hurting me...if you show him he can trust you, he'll help us for sure. _Hiccup assures him, turning their head to look at Toothless, who is standing beside Astrid and staring at his Rider with equal amounts of confusion and suspicion.

_"I guess that's our only option...we need to destroy the Tether but it's pretty tough. It'll take a lot of force to break it."_

_ Toothless's plasma blast could do it. _

_ "Are you sure?"_

_ Just watch and learn... _Hiccup flashes a smile at his dragon and slowly approaches him, holding out a tentative hand. "**It's okay, bud...it's me, Hiccup...**"

But Toothless tenses, growling at him.

_"I told you. He doesn't like me." _

_ Just wait... _Hiccup tells him. "**Toothless, please...we need your help...**"

The dragon tilts his head. We?

"**Please, bud...you can trust us.**" Hiccup is now within a few inches of the snarling Night Fury. His hand hovers just above the dragon's head. There's a desperate look in Hiccup's eyes. "**We can't do this without you.**"

But still Toothless hesitates, unsure of this is really Hiccup or just another imposter like before...

"Toothless." This time, it's Astrid who speaks up.

The dragon glances sideways at her.

She is staring at Hiccup, directly into his glowing eyes. "He's telling the truth." She says. "It really is Hiccup."

Hiccup offers her a gentle, relieved smile. She believes them! He looks back down at Toothless, hoping he will too. A long moment passes...and then Toothless's pupils widen. He coos and bows his head, touching it to Hiccup's palm.

_"Incredible..." _Hinrik whispers. _"I always thought dragons were just...wild animals."_

_ They are. _Hiccup sinks to he his knees, hugging Toothless around the neck. _But we've learned how to train them. Toothless isn't just a 'dragon' anymore. He's my best friend._

_ "So...you're sure we can trust him, then?"_

_ I'm willing to bet my life on it. _

_ "Good." _They stand up and hop into Toothless's saddle, clicking their prosthetic into the foot pedal. _"Because that's exactly what we're risking."_

"**Let's go, bud!**"

Toothless snaps open his midnight wings and rockets into the sky, carrying his Rider all the way up to cloud level. In a blur of speed, the three of them vanish from sight, Toothless's black scales blending in perfectly with the dark night sky...

* * *

Aragwen's eyes narrow, trying to pinpoint where they went. She'd heard rumors of Berkians training dragons but, until now, she'd never believed them... But that boy just hopped onto a _Night Fury_ as if he were a common horse. What are they planning...?

* * *

_So what's the plan, Hinrik?! _Hiccup asks as he tries to focus on the foot pedals while conversing with a voice in his head... It's all very distracting.

_"We need to use one of those...plasma-things and aim it right for the Tether. It has to hit dead-on or it won't shatter. Is this thing...accurate?" _

Hiccup snorts. _Clearly you don't know much about dragons, my dear Hinrik. _He smirks as he pats Toothless's head, earning a little coo from the dragon. "**What do you think, bud? Do you think you can hit a three inch post going top speed?**"

Toothless all but rolls his eyes as he flaps his wings, eagerly. He almost knocks Hiccup off of him as he suddenly does a mid-air somersault and starts diving back toward the ground.

Hinrik screams as they plummet downward, causing Hiccup to laugh.

_What do you have to scream about?! _Hiccup jokes. _You're already dead, remember?_

_ "I KNOW!" _Hinrik gulps, forcing their hands to grip the saddle a bit tighter. _"BUT THIS IS STILL TERRIFYING!"_

Hiccup laughs again and steers Toothless through the thick, black clouds. He can hear the high-pitched screech of his dragon charging a plasma blast and nods, satisfied that Toothless knows what to do.

He leans in close, making them as aerodynamic as possible and pets the Night Fury's side. "**Are you ready, Toothless?**"

The dragon growls, the sound of a charging attack growing louder and more threatening.

"**Hold it...**"

They burst free of the clouds, screaming down toward Aragwen, who looks up, startled.

"**Hold it...**"

She thrashes, violently against Stoick's hold. She knows what's about to happen.

"**Just a little longer...**"

They're almost there. But then-

Aragwen screams something in a strange language and Stoick gasps, stumbling away. He looks dazed, confused. Blood seeps from the front of his tunic and he falls to the ground.

_DAD! _Hiccup gasps.

Then, the witch holds up her hand...and smiles.

A pulse of black light slams into them. The breath is knocked out of Hiccup and Hinrik as they're thrown from the saddle, still a hundred yards in the air. Toothless screeches as his tail fin snaps shut and he begins to lose altitude. He spins around, only to see his Rider seemingly unconscious and falling straight to the ground...

"HICCUP!" Astrid shouts in terror.

Toothless shrieks at Hiccup and tries to fumble his way through the air toward him. But before he can reach him, the boy's glowing eyes flutter open.

"**Toothless...**" He croaks, looking pained. "**The Tether...HURRY!**" He jabs a finger at Aragwen, whose arm is still raised toward them, the Tether in plain sight. "**I'll be okay, bud! Destroy it now!**"

With a nervous whimper, Toothless whips around and fires a plasma blast, point-blank at the black rod in her shoulder. Without wasting time to see if it landed, he spins back to face his little Rider. The ground is closing in fast...

_"Are you ready, Hiccup?!" _

_ As ready as I'll ever be..._

Hinrik holds out both of their hands, an intense look on his face. Toothless notices that the glowing light in Hiccup's eyes brightens as the air below them begins to ripple...

* * *

_**A/N: Weird way to end a chapter, I know. And sorry about that. But...I have my reasons. So you'll just have to deal with it! XD**_

_**By the way, HOLY WOW! 91 reviews?! That's insane! Thank you guys SO much! (Most I've ever had and we're not even done yet!) You people are seriously amazing! **_


	16. Falling

_**Chapter Sixteen**_

_**A/N: I'm sick! *sad face* Worst. Headache. Ever. So...if this chapter sounds awkward or forced in any way...that's why. (I figured I wouldn't put off writing this because we're SO close to being done, it would be a shame to have to wait because I have a migrane.) So! Without further ado, ENJOY CHAPTER 16!**_

* * *

The air ripples like heat waves, which very rarely occur on Berk. There's the distinct sound of hissing and even a few crackles as sparks fly from nowhere. Hiccup's body sails toward earth as Toothless struggles to right himself.

_"Brace yourself!" _ Hinrik warns him. _"This will protect us from dying...but it will probably hurt quite a bit..."_

Hiccup squeezes his eyes shut, tensing for impact.

* * *

Astrid stares with a horrified expression as Hiccup is thrown from the saddle. Her friend flips in midair from the sheer force of whatever Aragwen did to him. For a moment, he appears to be unconscious...but then, he turns again and yells something at Toothless. A few seconds pass as the two of them plummet closer and closer to earth. Why didn't she bring Stormfly?! It's only now that she thinks of her own dragon, waiting patiently for her to return... If Stormfly were here, Astrid could zip up there and save him!

Instead, she's forced to watch as Toothless suddenly whips around and fires a plasma blast at Aragwen. She's thrown off her feet and lands, heavily on her back. Her shoulder sizzles where the fire hit her...but she doesn't appear to be hurt. But she doesn't move so Astrid turns her attention back to Hiccup.

He holds out both hands, the light in his eyes glowing brighter than before. And, before her eyes, a the air begins to warp. It twists and bends and even sparks a little.

What is happening...?

Within a handful of seconds, Hiccup the odd, rippled air forms a kind of dish-shape below Hiccup's body. It sizzles, looking dangerously hot and still throwing sparks. What is he planning on doing with that? And, more important, HOW ON EARTH IS HE MAKING IT?!

Moments before crashing into the earth, Astrid squeezes her eyes shut, not wanting to see her best friend fall to his untimely death only feet in front of her. She braces herself, already feeling sick to the stomach. And then-

_SMASH!_

* * *

Hinrik was right. Miraculously, his weird shield-thing stops Hiccup from simply breaking every bone in his body when he slams into the ground from a hundred yards up. Instead, he drops into the sizzling hot air which feels almost solid beneath him. It gives a little, feeling almost lost rubber and lowers him the rest of the way to the ground.

But Hinrik was _also_ right when he said it would hurt. A lot. Hiccup even hears a sickening crunch come from somewhere in his right arm, which he fell on. It takes a moment...but soon, the pain comes as well.

"Hiccup!" Astrid gasps when she realizes what has happened. He isn't dead! Somehow, he's alive! But... As she sprints toward him, she realizes he's anything but in good health...

Hiccup lets out an agonized yelp as a horrible, searing pain shoots through his broken arm. It's so intense, his vision goes dark around the edges and big, white stars flash in his head.

_"Are you okay?" _Hinrik asks him, sounding a bit guilty.

_I think my arm is broken... _Hiccup admits, grinding his teeth together against the pain. _But otherwise...I'm alright. Thanks, whatever you did saved our butts!_

_ "It's not a big deal. I wish I could have had more time. If I had, your arm might not have broken..."_

_ Don't worry about it... _He struggles to sit up, to move from the grass that's still hissing below him with heat from Hinrik's shield. But suddenly his arm screams in protest and he cries out, gasping as his vision blurs once again.

There's a subtle thump beside him and then a loud, frightened roar. Toothless hurries over to him, from where he managed to land a few yards away. He prods Hiccup with his nose and coos, terror flood the dragon's senses.

"I-I'm okay...bud..." Hiccup chokes out, noticing how Hinrik's voice is no longer accompanying his.

Toothless purrs and nuzzles his Rider's cheek in relief.

That's when Astrid arrives, panting from running all the way across the clearing as well as pure horror of watching Hiccup fall out of the sky. She kneels beside him, her hand hovering tentatively above his back. She doesn't know what to do... "H-Hiccup...?" She squeaks, nervously. "Are you okay...?"

He tries to nod, only to have his arm protest the little movement and force him to moan in pain instead.

"Oh man..." She whispers, just loud enough that the semi-conscious boy beside her can hear. "Your arm..."

It's twisted at an impossible angle and trapped beneath his body, bent and snapped at the forearm. A small amount of blood trickles from torn skin near the break...but at least no bone is showing...

_"Hiccup...!" _Hinrik's voice sounds urgent. _"Your dragon did it...!"_

_ Wha...? _He forces open a blurry eye and looks out across the clearing. He finds Aragwen's motionless body only about twenty feet away. Her shoulder is actually smoking, letting off a thick plume of black smoke. _He...did it? The Tether..._

_ "It's gone! He burned it!" _

Hiccup smiles, weakly and lets his eyes fall shut again. _Thank gods..._ The last thing he hears is Astrid's gentle voice in his ear.

"Just hang on, Hiccup. I need to go check on your father. Just hold on..."

And then the world turns black and even Hinrik's voice can't reach him.

* * *

Astrid pushes herself to her feet and races across the meadow, toward Stoick. Hiccup's father is still laying on the ground, blood seeping through his tunic from whatever Aragwen did to him...

"Stoick!" She says, hurriedly as she sits down beside him. "Stoick, are you alright?!"

The man groans, his face crunching up in pain.

"Please, sir! You have to wake up! Hiccup needs you...!" She cries, desperately hoping he'll snap out of it, hearing that.

And, surely enough, the older viking's eyes flutter open a few seconds later. He moans again and folds an arm over his bleeding abdomen. In a gasping breath, he asks, "Where's...Hiccup...?"

She grimaces. "Over there. His arm is broken and he passed out. We need to get him home as soon as possible!"

Stoick nods in agreeance and forces himself to sit up. "What happened to Aragwen?"

"Toothless shot her. I think she's unconscious too..." Astrid explains. Her eyes gravitate toward her chief's wound and she bites her lip. "Are you sure you're okay...?"

"I've had much worse on many occasions. This is nothing." With that, he stands up, wavering only a little, and starts toward Hiccup and Toothless. His face turns very grave at the sight of his boy's arm... "What happened...?"

"Aragwen pushed him off Toothless while they were flying." Astrid tells him, deciding to leave out the part about the sparking air because she isn't exactly sure what it was...

Stoick knees beside his son, gently tipping Hiccup's head to the side. "He's out cold..." He glances over at Aragwen and frowns. "We'll have to carry both of them. Toothless," He looks back at the Night Fury, who is whimpering and nudging Hiccup's cheek. "Do you think you can carry Hiccup back to the village if we strap him in?"

The dragon's ears fold down and he growls as if to say, 'Of course!'

"Then I'll carry Aragwen. I don't want anything else bad happening. Everyone stay on your guards."

Astrid nods and draws her axe, a determined glint in her eyes. She helps Stoick carefully lift Hiccup's torso off his arm and flip him over. Then, in one motion, they manage to lift him into the saddle and strap him in, nice and tight. "I'll walk beside them and make sure he doesn't fall out."

"Good." Stoick unceremoniously yanks the witch into his arms and then over his shoulder, making sure to leave a few bruises in the process... "I'm taking her straight to the prison cells. Would you bring Hiccup to Gothi...?"

"Yes sir." She nods and pats Toothless's head, motioning for him to follow her. With that, they head back into the forest, on their way home...

It's over.

* * *

_**A/N: ONE MORE CHAPTER GUYS! GAHH! It went sooo fast for me! **_


	17. Epilogue

_**Chapter Seventeen**_

_**A/N: Here we are guys. Last chapter. *sighs* This has been SUCH fun story to write! My first-ever horror fanfic, backed with all your guys' support! It's been amazing. Thanks for everything! **_

_**And see you in the SEQUEL! :D**_

* * *

Fire crackles in the fireplace, throwing little embers and flooding the room with warmth. Toothless purrs contently where he lays beside it, his tail flicking as he dreams. Astrid watches Gothi with a worried expression. The elder woman has just finished wrapping Hiccup's arm in several layers of bandages. It's all she can do. That and hope it heals correctly. But Hiccup has been unconscious since he fell, almost three hours ago. He should have woken up by now...

Astrid nearly jumps as a hand touches her shoulder. Gobber offers her a supportive smile and leans down to whisper in her ear.

"He'll be alright, lassy. No need to worry."

She stares at him with a hopeful gleam in her eyes. "Did Gothi tell you anything yet...? Is it only his arm...?" She can't help but also remember how he also nearly drowned and how weird he was acting before all of this. Like he wasn't himself...

Gobber shakes his head. "But I don't need her to tell me everything." He points out. "Hiccup is a tough boy. Tougher than most, actually." He pats her shoulder again. "He'll be just fine."

Regardless of Gobber's attempt at comforting her, Astrid sighs and looks back at Hiccup. There's just something about his face right now... It looks too peaceful, too easy. He's nowhere near waking up, no where _near_ the real world. If he was, his face would show the pain he must surely be feeling.

No. Right now he's far away, hidden in the deepest parts of his mind. And for some reason, that's scarier to Astrid than his broken arm...

* * *

A soft, warm wind rustles the grass on the hill. The sky is bright and clear, not a cloud in sight. The sun gleams on Hiccup's face and he sighs comfortably, enjoying the peace and quiet. He's given up trying to remember how he got here. Instead, he lays in the cool grass with his eyes closed, listening to the distant sounds of nature.

That's when he hears the sound of footsteps.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I was kind of tired after making that shield and had to rest a bit before coming to talk with you."

Hiccup opens his eyes and looks over his shoulder. A little smile touches his healthy, freckled face when he realizes who it is. "Don't worry about it." He says as he sits up. "I didn't remember you were coming until just now."

Hinrik smiles down at him, his hands shoved in the pockets of his loose, grey pants. His hazel eyes shimmer with relief at the sight of his new friend. "That's to be expected, I suppose. You're technically unconscious right now anyway."

Hiccup arcs an eyebrow and sits up, turning to face Hinrik as he sits in the grass across from him. "I am?"

"Yep. After we fell off your dragon, you got pretty badly hurt and passed out. Your friends carried you home."

Hiccup frowns, realizing they must be worried. "Is everyone okay...? Did Toothless land alright...and my dad...he was hurt too!"

Hinrik holds up his hands as if to tell Hiccup to settle down. "They're all fine. Toothless caught himself before he crashed and your dad's injuries weren't as bad as they seemed."

Hiccup sighs in relief and smirks at him. "Good. I don't know what I'd do if any of them got hurt because of me..."

"It wouldn't have been your fault even if they had. My mother forced you into this position. It's _her_ fault all this happened."

"Speaking of which..." Hiccup swallows and watches him nervously. "Where is she...? I mean...she isn't dead...right?"

Hinrik's brow knots and he closes his eyes. "No. She's alive."

For some reason, that thought is both a relief and concerning at the same time... "But the Tether was destroyed so she can't contact the Dark One anymore. She can't cast spells now..."

Hinrik nods. "You're right about that. And what's more is, she probably won't be able to move for quite some time, if ever again. It did a number on her..." Although he doesn't seem very relieved anymore. There's a tightness to his lightly freckled face as he runs a hand through his shaggy, russet hair.

And Hiccup notices. "What's wrong? I thought you'd be happy she's finally going to leave you alone..."

"I am happy about that." Hinrik assures him. "It's just..."

The other teen leans forward, getting the feeling he's about to say something disturbing.

"Don't let your guard down." He says, seriously. "I'd like to believe she's out of the picture forever...but my mother is stubborn. And she doesn't like it when people interfere with her plans...let alone destroy them forever."

Hiccup gulps.

"I'll leave it at this." He reaches out and takes Hiccup's shoulder, a meaningful look in his eyes when he says, "She probably won't be able to do much more harm...but if she manages to find a way to cause chaos...it'll be _you_ she targets. Not me." He sits back, a sad smile on his face. "There's not much more she could do to hurt me, anyway. _I'm_ already dead, twenty times over."

Hiccup bites his lip but forces a smile. "I-I'm not afraid."

But Hinrik only frowns and stands up. "You should be." He turns away from Hiccup so that his back is facing him. Then, before Hiccup's eyes, he begins to fade from sight.

Hiccup jumps to his feet, knowing this is probably the last time he'll ever see him. "Are you sure there's nothing we can do to save you too?! I mean, you're the son of a necromancer! You've done so much stuff that I thought was impossible! Maybe there's a way to bring you back..."

Hinrik chuckles and stuffs his hands back into his pockets, gazing dreamily at the sky. "There's not." He says. "Not many things are permanent, Hiccup. But death is. My mother was cheating fate by reviving me into another's body. Besides..." A soft smile tugs the corner of his mouth. "I think it's time I moved on, found out what lies beyond all this."

Hiccup bites his lip again, fighting the tears that sting his eyes. "Thank you." He says, suddenly. "Thank you for everything."

Hinrik nods, his body nothing more than a mere shimmer against the air now. "No, Hiccup. Thank you...for everything."

A sudden wind blows Hiccup's hair into his eyes, causing him to flinch. Once he opens them again...Hinrik is gone. The sky darkens as a ghostly voice floats through his head.

_"Be safe, Hiccup. My mother won't forget about you..."_

* * *

"Hiccup!" Stoick breathes as his son's eyes flutter open. In an instant, he and Astrid are beside him, asking if he's in pain or needs anything. His father cradles the boy's chilled face in his hands, stroking his cheeks affectionately. "Are you alright, son? Can you hear me?"

Hiccup nods slowly, testing himself for injuries. He remembers his broken arm and notices it's now wrapped in a sling. "I'm okay." He assures them, marveling at how clear his head is. Usually after being unconscious, he's groggy and can't think straight. But right now, it's as if he was never asleep.

"How's your arm...?" Astrid wonders.

He looks down at it and grimaces a bit. "Sore. But it's not too bad."

"Gothi gave you some herbs for the pain. Looks like they're working." Stoick tells him, smiling warmly.

"Guess so..." His eyes trail down to the edge of a bandage which is poking out from behind his father's tunic. "Are you okay, Dad? What did she do to you...?"

"Don't worry about me, Hiccup." Stoick scolds him lightly. "It's just a scratch. I've had much worse."

Hiccup grins at the memory of something. "Like the Gronckle bite...?"

Stoick's face reddens a little and he coughs. "Um, yes. That was worse."

"What Gronckle bite?" Astrid asks them, appearing curious.

"N-nevermind!" Stoick shakes his head and stands up. "I'm going to go find Gobber. He wanted me to let him know when you woke up."

Hiccup nods before flashing a knowing look at Astrid and mouthing, 'I'll tell you later'. With that, Stoick exits Gothi's hut, leaving the two teens alone. Immediately, the atmosphere changes...

"I was really worried about you." Astrid admits.

"You were acting so strange...and then this whole thing with Aragwen..." She shakes her head, her voice trembling with what sounds like forced laughter when she says, "You scared me to death, you know that?"

He smiles, softly. "I'm sorry." He wants to tell her about what happened, about Hinrik and how he saved all their lives...but the grogginess is finally setting in and he's finding it hard to keep his eyes open. "I promise I'll explain everything..."

Her expression softens. "Okay. But not right now. You look exhausted..."

"I _feel _exhausted." He admits.

"Then go to sleep." She absently brushes his bangs from his eyes, hesitating once she realizes what she's doing. "Sorry..." She takes her hand away, blushing a little.

"D-don't be..." He stammers, sheepishly. A long, awkward silence passes between the two of them before Astrid suddenly stands up. Her face is still burning when she says,

"Well, I'll see you later...I'd better go check on Stormfly..." But before she can leave, Hiccup stops her.

"Astrid...!" He mumbles, causing her to look at him again. He, too, is blushing now. "Thanks, by the way..." He says, grinning awkwardly.

She offers him a smirk and says, "Just don't scare me like that ever again. Okay?"

"No promises..." He jokes, shifting as his arm begins to throb.

She rolls her eyes and disappears out the door, leaving Hiccup to get some rest. But as soon as the door shuts, Toothless's head perks up. He jumps to his feet and hurries over his Rider, sniffing Hiccup's forehead and nuzzling him. He's so relieved to have him back.

Hiccup giggles, tiredly and pushes him away. "I'm glad to see you too, bud. Good job landing by yourself."

The dragon coos and nudges him, purring like mad.

"What?" Hiccup laughs, not understanding what the Night Fury wants. "Are you hungry or something? Because I'm not exactly capable of going down to the docks to get you fish right now."

But Toothess persists. He places a big paw on the side of Hiccup's bed and nudges him again, succeeding in shoving the boy a good few inches over. It's a good thing the bed is against the wall or he would have tumbled out.

"T-Toothless!" Hiccup gasps, cringing at the sudden pain in his arm. "Take it easy!" He opens his mouth to say something else...but stops when he notices what Toothless is doing.

The Night Fury somehow manages to crawl onto the bed. He folds his wings and tail around Hiccup's body, pulling him in close to his chest. It's just like when he caught his Rider after they fought the Red Death... Then, he closes his wings all the way, save a few inches for a bit of light to shine in.

Hiccup smirks in understanding and shakes his head. _He's so over protective sometimes...but who can blame him after all this? I'd do so the same thing if it were him... _Then, with a resigned sigh, he closes his eyes and goes to sleep, lulled by the dragon's infinite body heat. The last thing he says before slipping into a deep, peaceful rest, is "Thanks, buddy."

* * *

_"This is Berk. Over these past two years, a lot has changed. This place is so different from the 'Berk' I grew up in. We're not fighting dragons anymore. In fact, more often than not, they're coming to our rescue and becoming our friends... Toothless, Astrid and my father saved my life today. Of course, I can't forget Hinrik... Without his help, I never would survived Aragwen's trap long enough for my friends to find me. He saved my life and I'll always remember him. Then again, maybe we'll meet again someday... And as for Aragwen...I just hope Hinrik was wrong and she won't cause anymore trouble. Severed from the Dark One, she has no means for casting spells or possessing bodies. Let's just hope it stays that way..."_

* * *

_**A/N: And there you have it folks! 'Bewitched' is now officially done! Keep an eye on my profile for information regarding the sequel. It should be up within the next week (but no promises). Thanks for all the reviews, favorites, follows, etc...! Love you guys!**_


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